New Elements of Pain
by layalatania
Summary: She looked up at him. With a gentleness he never felt her fingers slipped onto the cuffs of his overcoat so softly he would only have to snatch it away to free himself, but it was her eyes with this vicious determined scowl that set him in place.
1. New Element's of Pain

_Pain has an element of blank;  
>It cannot recollect<br>When it began, or if there was  
>A time when it was not. <em>

_It has no future but itself,  
>Its infinite realms contain<br>Its past, enlightened to perceive  
>New periods of pain.<em>

_By: Emily Dickinson_

In hindsight she wasn't exactly sure how the situation started, but Orihime couldn't help but ridicule her evident fortune. Feeling like a child she huddled in the restroom with both Tatsuki and Rukia. Together all three girls massed themselves into the small enclosure Orihime writhing into a ridiculous fitting starfish themed Kimono with the _assistance_ of two rebellious friends.

"Orihime! Suck it in!" Tatsuki screamed as Rukia forced the busty woman into a ridiculous position against the bathroom sink. Puffing out her cheeks and holding her breath Orihime squeezed her abdomen as tightly as she could. All at once Tatsuki and Rukia united the folds; all to late for the red faced Orihime let out an over zealous breath causing Tatsuki to perilously hold onto the sleeves of the folds. "Shit. Orihime don't breathe!" She screamed.

Fisting the cloth between her palms Tatsuki steadied her assault, placing one foot sturdy on the ground and the other braced against the sink cabinet. Readying herself Rukia Pulled out the lace "Jesus Orihime, One more tug!"

Preparing her for the assault Rukia counted down, "One..." Tatsuki jerked the material of the folds tight to get some leverage, "Two..." The soul reaper prepped the string below Orihime's bust tension settling on her eyebrows.

Fear begin to form in Orihime's eyes,"Wha!"

"Three!" A yelp escaped the quivering girls lips. Frantic breaths lacing the quiet heaves of the room. She wriggled slightly while they seamlessly tied the uniform. After a satisfying breathe the two assistants crashed on the ground in reckless mirth. From the floor they could see the tremble of Orihime's shoulder as she tried to breathe.

The poor red head held utterly still rethinking those old movies of those buxom women fainting from the tightness of their corsets. She just had an unsettling suspicion this would be the case later on the evening maybe all for the good Orihime jested. But then again, she tended to have the worst luck in these type of situations. Peeking down between her toes her eyes settled upon the two girls flowered in laughter. Pouting the girls laughed at their friend's still holding a red breathe against her cheeks. After a few minutes of assurance Orihime finally released her breath allowing a softness to settle on her shoulders.

Well she reasoned she could at least breathe. Might as well push her luck while it was on her side she chided. After quick consideration of the pro's and con's Orihime attempted to sit-down. Well... more like uncomfortably slide her back stiffly against the cool sink cabinet; her legs sliding across the tile wide like the wobbly hooves of a newborn deer. She inched down till her butt met with the frost of the floor the cold setting a prickliness to her body. Pulling her feet into the comfort of her arms her gray eyes set upon the long thin material of her garb. The sleeves of her Kimono fascinating her, the hemp green of the material causing a curious ache to surface onto her heart.

She tried not to dwell. Pain surfaced in a way for her that she often felt drowned. The robe didn't fit too nicely, but she subsided the discomfort for the delicacy of the color. The prettiness simple almost childish but to her liking seemed to uplift her spirits- without thought her fingers began to fiddle with the plain silver bracelet on her wrist. Her buoyant when she began her constant muddled thoughts. Unclasping the rusty lift of the bracelet Orihime's mind contemplated the furtive unknown of the quickly approaching future.

Silently relishing, tightness squared on her lips. Fidgeting her hips squirmed in discomfort. A grimace washed over her face but she refused to complain or struggle. She should be grateful regardless she mused. The dress wasn't hers but Tatsuki's from two years prior, and although the color ran a little dry from dust accumulation it was rather beautiful.

Slowly Orihime melded her face into the softness of the sleeves causing the material to crumple up her forearm. She relaxed her head onto the crook of her elbow fingers twining through the brunt circle of the bracelet absent of the coldness settling onto her bare arm. A warm smell of august made her smile for a moment. Until it to vanished with the deadening of the seasons.

A forlornness settled on her heart. Quietly she recalled how she came into the possession of the dress, Tatsuki's dress she reminded herself as she played with the withered hem. The opportunity presented itself four days prior. It began as an offhanded suggestion of the group appearing for the Tanabata festival an activity Orihime had neglected to attend for the last three years. Her mind prioritizing between demons of the past and monsters of the future. But she was persuaded with little fight. As _they _put the words carefully, "the last moments of our youth." Tanabata would officially be there last moments together as children at least before they were forced to grow up.

All memories of their foolish childhood dissolving into dreams unrealized. Even she who once wished for a thousand lifetimes would also be forced to move in melody with the rest of the world. Her halcyon days were officially over.

She would be leaving soon with the approach of University. Orihime didn't have the finances to doddle in expensive affairs. She was eighteen after all no longer required for dependency. For the most part she didn't have much to worry about. Her expenses paid for at school. Although it took little neglect for anyone to regard the long stretch of Summer she would have to house herself, with a vagrants salary, working hand to mouth.

Tatsuki offered her the dress on a doddering afternoon under the July heat. They were eating acquiesce to the permeable weather enjoying a silent rendezvous together. It was merely chance their paths crossed. Since the night of Graduation the red head made a diligent effort to remove herself from the unfolding lives of her friends. Finding it much to hard to bid them goodbye then to forever engrave their friendship into the little space remaining in her heart.

So together they sat inside a nicely ventilated Ice cream shop watching the daylight twinkle down- Tatsuki idling summing up important passing of the lives of their friends, while the easily lost red head floated into far away thoughts as she played with the bronze trinket on her wrist.

Orihime tried politely to refuse the dress but like always rebuffed and impassioned into submissiveness. No amount of posturing, no amount of half-smiles could summon her friend away. And so now hear they sat heaving over the accomplishment.

Dangling her hand across her knee she watched in an unattached mirth- the two girls celebrating their victory. Rukia spinning around in her amethyst dress, pulling Tatuski playfully along, together basking in a childish joy Orihime had slowly become unaccustomed to.

"What's wrong Orihime?" Tatsuki woven in a lovely garb settled next to her, a frown slighting her face. Orihime admitted willingly in her head; Tastuki had become beautiful over the last few years. In a certain fragile way Orihime envied. The girl's face narrowing out and hair growing flaxen against her neck was tied intricately into a sophisticated style above her head. The Kimono brusque suited her figure; mature designs of moons painted in deep cerulean complemented the cut of her eyes as well as the olive of her skin. The sleeves pressed of soft silk did not crumble when she knelt down but instead settled like waterfalls against the floors toppling her petite fingers into the unknown mass. She brewed at the beauty Tastuki unknowingly grew into. Orihime in her thought got lost in the patterns momentarily the backwards crescents speaking to her from their perch.

Rukia entered her sound evaluation soon enough concern etched onto her features, "Orihime?"

Smiling softly from her nestle in the fabrics, a quivering voice whispered. "I'm alright." No mirth, no forthcoming of senseless babble, simply words so soft and humble the tightness of the voice frightened even herself as she spoke them.

For a few minutes the three young women remained in this consuming silence. Each frightened of the true changes between each other. Fearful they accredited to a pitiful title of fare weather acquaintances. Age had gracefully cornered the trio. Each had their secrets, insecurities, and freedoms they could no longer express in the company of each other. But still they attempted at being children and cherishing their meaningless moments together.

_Triiiiiiiiiiiing...Trinnngggggg...Triiiiin-_

A trickling sound emitted from the previous room, on the bed a plain white phone floundered against the sheets. Peeking from around the corner of the bathroom door Tatsuki seemed hesitant to go for the device while Rukia seemed adamant of studying the door. When had such abashed women turned so unnerved, when had the world turned from its upright position. Standing Orihime took a few testing steps feeling the long sway of her red hair slip over her shoulders, grasping the phone she attempted to flip it open.

Orihime's heart plunged.

With a quick sweep the phone was tugged away from her. Orihime smiled her usual dubious confounding smile, "You know I can't work these things Tatsuki." Pulling her hand behind her head in a sheepish grin.

Tatsuki in the loveliness of her teal kimono responded in a low sigh before hen-picking Orihime's utter misfortune with technology.

The red head could feel a whimper lodge into her throat when Tatsuki spoke, "How do you except us to keep in touch when you don't even have a cell phone." Orihime never answered. Tatsuki refused to pressure her any longer and instead began to read the text appearing on the screen of the phone.

Flippantly,"The guys said we should head downstairs to meet them." flipping the phone close she inserted into the cavern of her dress opening grumbling that she wasn't going to carry around a stupid purse. Tatsuki detailed a sideways glance at Orihime who met her with an apologetic smile.

Their world was changing. Small things were growing bigger. They were keeping secrets from each other, insecurities from one another- their fears and hopes they no longer remembered and wondered now did they care to remember.

With the last few minutes, Rukia placed on her makeup a glowing tint smeared on her white cheeks flared her velvet eyes- Orihime pinned her hair clips onto the sleeve of her collar before tying her hair in a simple style with a flowered accents at the top. Tatsuki gathered everyone's shoes as the girls ran down the staircase in a fit of forced shouts and giggles.

Opening the door Orihime recalled the soft shudder of an early August wind settling on her bones, the ghostly chime of her bracelet sway against the seething breeze as she was buried in a pummel of early autumn leaves. She picked a gray fleshed leaf off of her nose smiling more sincerely than she had all day.

All things fester and her leaden thinking was among them.

A chiding thought passed her mind and without thinking she unclasped and re-clasped the badly misshapen bangle onto her arm.

_Click_

Fear stirred in her heart.

_Click_

After escaping from the house, the girls at the insistence of Rukia linked arms in merry primary school we're-the-queens-of-the-world fashion- Orihime choosing to sing a soft little french nursery rhyme she had memorized a few months before, Rukia kicking her legs out in a can-can and Tatsuki choosing to grumble and slouch all the way to the curb of their meeting. From their little chain Orihime could make out the frame of a tall lanky red head, curbed at the side by a gentle shadow of Chad and flanked on the side by an albeit forced grumpy Uryuu Ishida.

From the angle of their trek up the hill Orihime knew the guys would be able to see them in much better view than they would. With a soft overcast Orihime caught in her vision a sudden warmth of Golden eyes locked onto the group of women.

Her heart didn't flutter nor did her face redden at the sight of Kurasaki Ichigo. He noted her for only a moment complementing the tie of her hair before he fell into languid banter with Tatsuki.

_Click_

She felt out of place.

_Click_

Chad's gentle hand fell on her shoulder briefly in assurance, pushing her into soothing the confrontation settling in her friends heart. Sometimes it frightened her on how well he could read people.

"Hi everyone!" She admitted such a long time passed since the entirety of her friends welded in the same place. In the crowd she recognized brother's and sisters, close friends, fare-weather friends and others she had never acquainted nor ever acknowledged. The long form of chimney white skin, paired with dutch features and black hair had her fingers neatly nestled into Ichigo's. She was a different kind of pretty Orihime mused. Not overly developed, incredibly lanky to be honest but a developed beauty about her with soft endearing eyes.

Ichigo grinned sheepishly when he felt the girl nuzzle her head shyly into his shirt, a bitter mark of embarrassment appearing on her cheek. "Uhmm...this guys is..." Orihime never caught her name not out of rudeness but simply since this would most likely be there last meeting her name would be only one more thing she would begin to forget over time. Instead she chose attention else where catching the endearing smile of Uryuu. She would miss him dearly as well- although they would be in close quarters to each others just a few day's train ride away from one another. Orihime didn't know if that either frightened her or feel misery at her friend's misfortune.

"You look stunning Orihime." Caught off guard Orihime blushed before she schooled herself into a systematic reply.

With hesitance she noticed the steady stare she was getting from Tatsuki, steeling her face she smiled humbly bowing slightly at the taller man, "Thank you Ishida-kun, you look very handsome as well." Orhime's smile was unauthentic, indelicate and sullen. She imagined Uryuu must have taken some offense his posture seemed to stiffen and without the presence of his glasses his eyes developed a much more raw sincerity.

_Click_

When had words gotten so hard for them.

_Click_

Popping the bracelet's clasp back in place; her heart faltered once again lost as tender little pellets plummeted from the sky. She could smell the droplets before their actual dissent and how she dearly wished to be submerged in their cold impassiveness than settle into a murky allusion a minute longer.

"Dammit." Ichigo hissed, "Fuckin' great it's rainin'." He cleaved his foot into the curb before trying to shake the stubborn droplets out of his styled hair. He looked frustrated something he tried vainly to keep at bay. Those seemed to be the permanent temptress of Ichigo's life recently frustration accompanied by quick bouts of happiness. A roller-coaster of emotions that had settled since the waning catastrophe of monster's haunting the sleepy town of Karakura.

Tugging on her brothers breaker jacket, "It's just a little rain. It will clear up," Yuzu cheerfully spoke dressed to the nines in a sweet pink Kimono, her face in an awkwardly cute phase between childhood and teenager-dom. Mindfully Orihime wondered if it haunted Ichigo that everyday Yuzu was looking more and more like his mother. Discomfort swallowed the vision of his eyes. For they all once knew, every inconsequential thing about each other, every truth, every tear, every laughter that escaped.

_Click_

Did they still judge her?

_Click_

Did he still judge her? Blame her, or even more hurtful pity her young childish heart for such inconceivable love. It was Ichigo who after all told her to stop thinking like a child. Stop living in a fantasy, stop praying for dreams never to be accomplished. Did it break her heart, she didn't quiver his words only numbed her. When she would thaw out she had no control over.

After an accumulation of unassuming small talk, greetings and wavering speeches the large group began to disperse within the molting crowds. Much like the young teenager said the rain began to let up as the clouds speared out to let the last flecks of sunshine rain in.

Without further utterance Ichigo and his companion in the company of Kiego and Rukia set to a challenge of an eating competition. The girl at that point kept loosely to his arms in a controlled mirth at the happiness around her. Tatsuki chose heartily to pursue a sharp shooting game which Uryuu found the enjoyment to commentate upon. On the other side of the street Chad decided on a little landscape watching with the help of Yuzu who also seemed to enjoy the simple task. They were soon followed by a strange trio of a snide unrelenting Jinta, a jaded Karen and as always meek quite waif of Ururu. Chad didn't seem to mind the parade of teenagers in his presence and seemed fairly eased by their solace.

Orihime chose this time to get lost in the crowd not before catching the eyes of a melancholy child she had grown unashamedly close into the last few years. She smiled softly at the forlorn expression of fragile looking Ururu feeling the action returned before she got fully swallowed by the torrent of clothes and footsteps.

Languid Orihime chose her time playing a few vendor games. After a few little door games she moved on to a quiet part of festival catching the sight of a few plaintive little children. One of the stalls housed a rather lethargic looking fish which caught Orihime's interest the group of abashed children poking at its cage in boring fascination. She couldn't tell the rules or system of the game, the stall seemed abandoned of fun for the entire festival, as was the vendor who was left sleeping on a wooden stool above a large fish tank full of semi-exotic looking fish. One in particular caught her eye in the throng of surplus fish.

Surprisingly it seemed content in its self made cottage In the nest of the deep blue water. The delicate Vieltail's white scales glistened the large fishes belly brushing grit off the bottom of its vessel, the spear of its long twin tail dangled and sliced through the water like a long tailcoat. It seemed sluggish and imbalanced, sickly. And yet still so graceful in its movement but she knew the truth. It was writhing in pain, it like her was slowly dying. The goldfish she presumed took one more quick turn in an effort to dislodge the plain rusty color Ryukin that followed its coattails before it looked up at her with glum green eyes. Eyes so familiar it made her stomach lurch.

Shaking the thought, Orihime took time study the creatures and then on to the skeletal man who was presumably the owner of the stall. A gaunt little man with thread bare whiskers peeking out of his ear. She tried to gain the owner's attention lost in a rather "uhmph" magazine sea-sawed between his nose drool stumbling down his chin. "Excuse me. Sir?" She stumbled for words. "Sir!" Orihime's whimpering voice trying to catch his attention. God she hated her meekness. A gargling snore emitted from the elder's mouth. Soundly her eyes tore down at the Vieltail Goldfish seeing it curl around; its white fanned tail slithering against the ground, the rusty little Ryukin twirling slowly across the flopping creature nuzzling its nose into the creatures soft underbelly. Trying desperately to push the green eyed veiltail off the sooty sand of the fishtank.

At that moment Orihime made a decision; with sudden strike she plunged her hands into the water feeling the slimy texture of the fish between her fingers. The wily fish slipped from her fingers before she took another grab, her elbows pressed too forward into the aquarium knocked the fish tank atop. With a sudden stir she snapped her hands back feeling her bracelet snag against the lining of the tank before it toppled over with a sputtering splash. Orihime in instinct sprinted off, clutching the squirming creature within her hands before the inaudible curses of the awoken vendor resounded through the street catching the attention of indifferent passerbyes.

Orihime fell into a heap crouching down opening her hands she began to realize she could do nothing to save the little fish from death, as the poor thing wriggled tightly, swishing its lithe fins through her fingers her mind stormed back to the rapturous wind of Waco Mundo. Saddened she looked down into its gray...Gray! In her hands wriggling was not the elegant looking Vieltail but the poor little rusty Ryukin. Orihime couldn't believe her stupidity. She caught the wrong fish. She failed. Her hands trembled, like they hadn't before as she watched from her spot the pitying souls of passerby's choosing to bag the still writhing fish from the hapless vendor, they all worked hard to place them into bags onto a small over filling table, all for the writhing mass of white, green eyes staring at her so plaintive she couldn't utter a breathe.

Tiny pelets dribbled from the sky, Orihime quickly picked up the rusty gray eyed Ryukin holding the broken bracelet in her mouth before she ran to the vendor trying to wait patiently as kind souls apologized to the elderly sales mans misfortune. She pushed through the spectators.

"Cah-n Iwe bwuy 'wem?" The man looked at her stupidly, " 'Dis twoo fwiss!" She squeeked already scooping the little rusty one into a bag along with the two tailed white one. They flopped for a single second before she snatched the water hose from a helpful dumb stricken bystander, "Swowy!" She screeched before fumbling with the tie and knotting the two fish in a roost. "Heh." Orihime shouted as she slammed the coins into the vendors hands and stomped away. Frivolous to the wide gaping of the spectators who resembled the quibbling little fish lined behind her.

"Aw you seem much better Mr. Fish." Orihime laid the warped water bag onto an empty space against the concrete street. Kneeling down she took amusement in faintly poking the bag watching the rusty Ryukin follow the reflection of her fingertip. A giggle surfaced at the silliness of the little goldfish, she nodded in a quibble of laughter at the Veiltail who seemed displeased at her prodding. Everytime her finger fell into it's face it would rebuff with a gruesome stare before fanning its tail at her in complete dismiss. "you know..." She spoke to the veiltail, "You remind me of someone I knew a long time ago." A low giggle left her hallow, tears spilling in with the split of rain falling from the sky.

She remembered how much of her childhood fawned over the love Orihime had for her Kobiyashi. But now under the drizzle of rain she wondered at the princess ignorance. Waiting for the fragile pieces of little magpies to be her saving grace. To cry tears and wait so long in prayer that rain doesn't come. She didn't wish to be the same Orihime always crying tears wishing for the present to slow down and meld into the past.

_Why does my heart hurt?_ She couldn't stand up, ashamed at her tears she hid her face in the blackness of her hands. _There's a whole where my heart should be._ Vainly she tried to wipe the snot from her nose afraid the lonesome shadows would spear gruesome remarks about her childish behavior.

Oh great snot all over Tatsuki's dress, the thought made her gurgle with such a miserable laugh it subdued her crying.

"Did you know?" she speaks to the two little fish who our cozy against one an others coats, "My name's Orihime too. Like the festival." Her voice is husky, gruff and scratched. "Sometimes I have silly thoughts, only because I'm to afraid to tell truth." She hiccuped. "Mhmm... What about you Mr. Fish?"

"_Lady, Why are you talking to a fish?"_ She startled looking over her shoulder into a small paleness. He was a sightly little boy. Nothing particularly usual about him. Sandy hair with foreign features, little knees with a bowlegged gait. He kneed down with her tracing his fingers around the bag.

"_My brother use to tell me when I was little anything will talk if you take the time to listen."_ she mumbled against her knees. _"I never had a fish before..."_

The little boy looked up his sterile black eyes feeding into her soul, _"Where's your brother?"_

A wistful expression grew on her face, _"His gone." _

"_My grandma's gone too."_ The little boy responded. Circling his fingers into the mud. "_Did he die?_"

Her head snapped up at the little palomino haired boy.

_"Pas simplement disparu..."_

The boy repeated, "_Pas simplement disparu..."_

Together they sat in a comfortable silence they boy would stare with black eyes at the fish, his gangly knees dirtying against the ground. His unusual pale fingers trimming the side of the fishes house.

"My brother..." His unusual placid face smiled in a genuine child fashion, his black eyes squinting close as hidden dimples appeared. "He is..."

"Gone?"

"No. Just different." The boy answered before tangling his fingers into his lap. He tilted his head in a way that made the red head smile. Before blushing, "_He is amazing..."_

"Do you want them?" She asked her voice a brave whisper. "Your free to have them."

He giggled at the Veiltail as it flippantly fanned its tail at the boy, "_He reminds me of my brother._" He cooed gently standing after the announcement and brushing off his kneecaps, the leash of his overalls falling off his shoulder. He picked up the water bag carefully cradling it in his skinny arms. A redness of excitement growing on his cheeks. "_I have to go now." _He turned in a movement of hesitation. "_Can you keep a secret." _

Orihime stood closer to the boy leaning down so he could whisper in her ear,"_Je ne suis pas suppose d'etre ici." _With swiftness he brushed a kiss against her temple so gently. _"My brother's looking for me." _his wide eyes narrowed sweetly before he took of in a sprint. He was gone.

But what if she didn't wish for it to end. But for the world to stay the same for everyone to drown all along with her instead of slowly submerging from the river one at a time. She envied the child who could just run away.

Strange boy Orihime mused. Standing up she cradled the remnants of her heart in her hands, feeling the coldness of the rain drowning out her sorrow. Did she have the right of sorrow. She tried to smile. Let it be rain or snow, autumn leaves, or summer shines old pain always precedes elements of new pain.

Trudging Orihime made her way back to the gorged crowds of celebrators. She lingered on the edge of the festivities one foot trapped under the perpetual solitude of the homely festival the other itching to cross the bridge and exit from the dream.

Complaisant Orihime distantly watched her friend. Tatsuki and Uryuu fled off under the shield of an abandoned cabana; sweet kisses stolen here and there- blushes and hands being entertwined. Ichigo trapped in a never ending chain of arm wrestling coaxed his anxiety under the physical strain. Rukia stood off to the side examining the strange human occurrence around her somewhat enticed and yet hesitant to engage. The no named company sat at the line of picnic tables pleasantly pointing out little booths to Kiego and Mizuru. The the girls Yuzu, Karin, Ururu all split among a number of prizes shuffled in their arms as Chad carried a snoring Ginta over his shoulder. They all looked happy.

She felt as if she was on the mere precipice falling to her doom. She couldn't handle it the belabored smiles, the fake sincerity- everyone so happy without her, able to shovel smiles and laughter without her assistance, acknowledge fears, reverence and even sweet feelings.

She ran. The cheerful laughter and chaotic roars from the festival dying out at the distance but even then she did not stop. Something pulled her at such a level that she could no longer decipher if she had full consciousness of her decisions.

The roads fuddled up against her vision. The rain smearing her face making it difficult to direct but her body knew where to go. The roaring sirens of the street frightened her as did the glowing tendrils of headlights and yet she was not afraid. She fell once already unused to the cobblestone of the sidewalk under her wide shoes. She fell twice scraping her knee and elbow a car flailing up behind her kicked up a bale of water knocking her down but she was already numb long before this. She blundered and fumbled a few more streets. Not exactly sure where her fleeing mind was leading her only that a primal urge was guiding her without promise.

Finally she stopped the street deserted. She couldn't tell if it was here her mind wished her to go or if her body was just to weak and vulnerable to travel any further. Behind her was a bridge cars chasing across it at such a speed that the white of their headlights drifted together. She didn't remember crossing the bridge she reasoned she should be afraid that she did so without recognition, but the pain of her chest and lead legs distracted her thoughts.

Around all was silent. The flailing cars turned morose in her thoughts graying out with the rest of the skyline. Only the heady light of the streetlamp flickering wildly and melodious cawing of wild birds disrupted the quietness her mind forced. From behind something caught onto her perception. A feeling more than a sight. A shuddering ill splitting feeling that told her to be unwary, to be unafraid.

She turned her eyes stinging from the salted droplets and utter white of glowing skin. He, it... the thing before her she could not place a name. Cloaked around in a blanket of black he looked at her with the most cursing emotionless eyes.

Under the rain sitting on the asphalt cigarette smoke poured from the individual. He felt dingy wet and miserable under the pour. His conventional black umbrella tripped back from his head collected water as his right leaned against the handle. Taking the cigarette from his mouth he curve a breath; his porcelain jaw shining against the ambiance of the night. Shaking his head from the falling droplets coal locks of hair fell onto the bridge of his mouth. He shrugged standing up a silent ambiguity seizing his chest. Looking up he met wild gray eyes- a depressive little red blotched thing drowning under the rain and squirming in a dress to small for her. She approached him in an unwary way, uncaring of the blood that traveled from her arm neither the discord of her soaked kimono. She seemed frightened but not of him, but more herself. He noted, she only staring at his feet as she came to him. Her head warm even under the cold pour fell onto the curve of his neck. She so close he could cradle his jaw on her crown. He breathed her in; the smell of fear, anticipation and wild flowers. The ashes of cigarette smoke abandoned fell onto her bare shoulder leaving a delicate mark. She flinched, he turned away from her throwing his smoke on the ground stomping the flickering ashes with his black styled boots; maybe he didn't like hurting her, or maybe he believed she was afraid.

He was going to leave her then write off the bizarre behavior as act of drunken curiosity, but then she did something strange. Something that caused even his impassable heart to shudder. She looked up at him. With a gentleness he never felt her fingers slipped onto the cuffs of his overcoat so softly he would only have to snatch it away to free himself, but it was her eyes with this vicious determined scowl that set him in place.

She hiccuped, "Don't leave me."

* * *

><p><strong>Hi guys this is my first try at bleach please excuse any mistakes or ignorances on my part and gratefully hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter. Feel free to review they make me happy. Also as an irrelevant though slightly relevant note I am an avid Ulquihime fan and have hopelessy tried to keep watching bleach- but after a year without any sight of Uluiraa coming back I have been unable to keep reading nor watching the sight.<strong>


	2. I'm Nobody

**I know it's been forever since I've updated I was a little frightened to post this only because I'm not very confident in writing bleach fanfiction. I haven't been keeping up with the show and what not. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! I had a lot of fun writing it. It's not beta'd so if you see any mistakes please feel free to tell me.**

**I'm Nobody**

Light, soft morning light ambient and roaring tinkled against her eyes. Twisting deeper into the covers she turned away from the light groaning. She had been dreaming,surely she had been dreaming only seconds prior. Something amazing something wonderful that seemed to have slipped through her fingers like flowing water, lucid and gentle. Turning over again her spine ached pulling her fumbled incoherent thoughts into the present realm. As her body seemed to awaken the tingling safety of the dream all but seemed to disappear; a blaring silence met her numbed heart.

The world was spinning when she came to. A mesh of grays and black assaulted her mind, a dizzying spell that caused her stomach to flutter and jolt. The red haed opened her eyes unafraid of the sight- her head aching, sickly could make no investments for fear at the moment. Orihime unlatched her weary body from the hot sticky covers. She struggled out of their temperamental safety, unraveling the white sheets from around her torso and kicking the excess off her sweaty legs. Take one last dubious snuggle into the fluffy black pillow sheets, Orihime sat up.

Strangely in the sight of unfamiliarity she was unafraid. Somewhere, she would later argue what was left of her rational mind pushed her to feel trepidation and anxiety in the room, but oddly it was overwritten by the almost pleasant confusion of awaking between dream and reality.

Running her fingers through tangled hair the woman could only assume she looked rough. Skin blotch, running hot with fever from last nights escapade in the rain, body achy knees and elbow sore with the aligning of new scabs and scars. Tearing at orange tangles her fingers groped father down the tresses snaring onto the cottony latex of her shirt, _her shirt?_- Orihime peered down, she hadn't remembered switching into a shirt last night, nor remember owning a shirt of the same soft spandex material that hugged her assets so snugly or of the same drab white color, she couldn't recognize the smell; masculine and subtle; nostalgic a scent she could imagine her brother may enjoyed wearing. Pressing her noise into the cloth she was assaulted by bittersweet memories of her childhood, of sing-a-long days long past- of her brother, of safety.

Here in a home she had never entered before, under the blissful white sheets and black covers ensnared in a pillar of of safety she felt loved. Closed in the comforting warmth of a strangers scent attacked by a sense of nostalgia under the inviting smell of the linen her mind fell into bliss. She couldn't remember how she had come to be dressed in the clothing now wrapped around her body nor of how she came to be trapped below sheets so comforting.

What had happened last night? Orihime felt as if she was swooning. She figured he could tell her. The man who seemed so dismally uninterested in studying her from doorway of what she assumed was the bedroom. He didn't speak but something in his posture; that ramrod stiff yet completely relaxed stance; his long strong back leaning against the door frame gave him an air of authority. His mouth although turned into a frown seemed to quirk with dark bemusement. A coffee mug she hadn't notice before, bulky against his slim white fingers steamed as he brought the cup to his lip. His brow heavy and black still carried the same arrogant amusement while his eyes glassy green glistened with boredom.

He was a handsome man, Orhime's mind surmised, foreign, with such colored eyes and pale skin. A blossoming entered her fluttering heart and settled onto her cheeks. She felt well undressed in the presence of this strange man.

"Uhmm..." His eyes that had lingered onto his coffee cup slowly slid to her. Predatory and endlessly cold made her head shrivel into the safe heaven of the spandex shirt. In what she hoped was a sneaky manner Orihime eyes peaked from under the canopy of loose hair and red knees to the man. He seemed to be lost somewhere else in thought looking above her to the content of the room before he came back full circle gazing deeply at her. Catching her stringing her in such a way she felt oddly contempt.

"Anou, Uhmmm..." She scratched her head.

He took another long sip of his drink. "You seemed lost for words. If you wish to speak then speak. Don't waste your breathe, my time, with impassiveness and hesitance." Again those reptilian eyes so familiar so bleak glared up into her.

Her voice was fluttery fairy like against his ears, a lull drone that tingled with every feathery word. She mumbled incoherently burying her embarrassment into the warmth disappearing beneath heavy covers, "I didn't mean- I meant to say...It's uhmm..." Her voice shuffled again pleasantly soft against her vocal cords, "_thank you."_

One of his eyebrows peaked, "What are you thanking me for?" He traveled closer to her laying one of his thin legs onto the edge of the bed. Orihime let out an eeep feeling the way the bed's mattress shifted under her bottom. Recognizing a cold draft spreading up her semi-naked legs she tried to disappear into the covers, hoping if she wished hard enough he would think of her only as a decoration. _I'm not really here, this isn't real, _she thought. Smiling oddly as her wishes caught up to her rational thought, finding her silliness winning over her embarrassment.

His body reached over the crisp thin material of his black button up shirt scratching against her nest of covers. Placing his cooling coffee onto the empty bedside table across from her he seeped down sinking onto the comfortable sheets as he nestle beside her.

Propping one leg up as his arm draped across his eyes, his deep voice humming, "Onna, Don't thank me. I have done nothing to comfort you."

Orihime unhinged herself from the sheets staring into the smooth placid form of the man laying languidly beside her. Taking in his features his fingers were delicate looking almost womanly Orihime thought but lacked vitality, lacked color.

"Where are we?" She questioned, fiddling with the hem of her shirt once again.

"A bedroom,"

Biting her lip in contempt, "I understand that, but..."

"But, what... there is nothing more to the statement you may need to know." Orihime giggled causing the man to quirk an eyebrow at her.

"You aren't very social are you." Her eyes smiled softly at the doleful creature beside her, she smiling insatiably into her, _his _shirt.

He huffed rebuking her deeming her a strange peculiar thing of a woman. "Don't be silly-"

A sallow beep emanating from a far away hall called both of their attention. Turning into the frosting air Orihime's body shuddered from the hallow sound of a finishing coffee machine.

"It is nothing." He announced standing unperturbed following the trickling hollow bleating into the vast unknown.

Again Orhime's head fell onto the cold suppleness of her naked knees, the tight elastic of her pooling gym shorts clipping tightly into her skin as she shuffled into a higher sitting position. Her mind wondered to the strange man. It hadn't been the first, well she surmised it was the first time she had awoken into a strangers room; unafraid of the consequences, but well not the first she had selfishly clung and lingered onto a man due to familiarity. Begging deeply, crying in a burdensome hysteria onto the vellum of pale skin, dangerously deep voice, mop coal hair and reptilian green eyes. He was the first to acquiesce to guard her with such familiar uninterested subtly, so impassioned that it tattooed her heart much more deeply than the men who tried to comfort her cries with sweet words or soft hands. Those sweet tender words that did nothing to humble her turbulent crying.

Orihime stumbled out of the bed debating weather to carve the sheets back into there place. Spotting the meticulousness of the rest of the room she began to fix the gray, blacks and whites of comforters and sheets onto the bed. Approaching the exit of the bedroom she straddled the doorway hesitant to step across into the unwelcoming unknown. Foolishly her heart wished to remain in the haven of the loft loved and comforted in its solitude. She didn't like change she imagined. It took her longer than others to adjust, but she couldn't be sheepish any longer indecision was the maker of her character but something she hated terribly.

She scrambled across the threshold breathing in deeply as her foot made contact with cold wood panels. Her eyes darting once more back to the safety of her temporary abode, the shrill bleating escalated once again causing her to dart her eyes forward. Walking slowly she descended further into the empty hallway her eyes tracing the dim outline of blank whitewall where artworks and decors should have been hanging. Her fingers languidly brushed against the harsh texture sending a pleasant jolt onto her body. Her bare feet cold against the slab enjoyed the sensation gathering closer and closer to an opening. Her feet halted at the end of the hall, head peaking hesitantly across the threshold glimpsing sweetly into the room.

Orihime swallowed an awe, all around a plethora of books shuffled here and there along shelves and shelves cradling walls upon walls of reading material. Three wooden bookshelves to the right of her brimming under the weight of journals and text their bottoms pregnant splintering. Even to her feet sat books stacked delicately off enough of the main room to have a comfortable walkway. Curious her hand brushed against one of the titles the bronzed embossed letters on the decrepit maroon book. _Complete Collection of Emily Dickenson, _below a short pamphlet of passages from Poe. She flitted through the poetry worded enough with English to understand the text.

"_I'm nobody, who are you? Are you nobody, too?" _She stilled unable too frightened to squeal as the velvety voice assaulted her ears. Fingers she imagined to be soft doll like brushed calloused against hers turning the page three times slowly. She followed his hand highlighting the passage his breath deep against her bare neck, the long spindles of his hair falling tickling her shoulder as he read the text over her shoulder.

"_There's a pair of us don't tell. They banish us you know." _Breathing in deeply she trembled her shoulder bumping against his bowed chin, _"How dreary to be somebody, how public like a frog..."_

She turned around facing the man not use to such proximity, his eyes were closed in such a sensual comfortable way lost somewhere in a secret memory. He opened his eyes the sensuality not loss beyond his cold green orbs, he sipped from another steaming cup she imagined he had been holding the whole time in his other hand. His head tilted cutely as her breathe hitched, _"tell your name the livelong day to the admiring bog." _

"Poetry.?"

"I enjoy it, other works and mediums as well."

She hesitated, "I see."

"See what?"

Eyes crinkling into a grin, "I see you. You are real."

He huffed that subtle arrogance appearing on his brow again, "Are you sure?" Orihime fumbled. "How can you so easily deem you see me, know me to be real, this to be reality, the truth?" He stirred the cup gently turning his wrist just so, studying the sloshing content. "This could just as easily be a dream." He titled his head at her almost mockingly so.

Her breath fluttered with that airy quality once again, the soft fairy voice that seemed to invoke her whenever she said something otherworldly, "Dream, reality they are real to me."

His voice whispered dominant but soft enough not to completely crush her whimsy, "You are foolish. It is not truth just because one believes-" Her laughter heartbreaking stopped his words. She grinned foolishly.

"You remind me so much of someone I use to know!" Her voice hitched tiny dribbles of peppery tears staining the poetry. "I'm so silly, I'm messing up your book!"

"Onna haven't I already told you that."

Laughter dull a lifeless slowly morphing into sniffles and tears. "Yes, yes you have. I don't know what I'm doing," she hiccuped wiping her tears.

Sipping another stream of hot liquid."Is that so."

Orihime nodded her head unable to speak her throat encroached, clamped shut in her humoring sorrow.

"Does it frighten you?" He looked so human asking her, his skin balmy, pale dark ringlets under his tired eyes, fatigue settling on his body.

"No. I'm not afraid."

!-!-!

He had fed her an hour before, as she grumbled about the potential blandness. He had moved her from the kitchen into the barrier of a bar stool and half wall after she suggested he putting ketchup on the cantaloupe. In her chair she grumbled cutely wishing to correct him. The meal had been comforting yet awkward; he refused to eat leaning on the nourishment of a what must have been his fourth cup of warm brewed coffee since she had awoken. The food although not up to par with her usual masterpiece made her taste buds sing as she ungracefully stuffed her stomach full of a light morning soup and seasoned fruit.

Sitting in the car a dull silence had past through from driver to passenger. A few minutes prior she had been dazzled by the sleek beauty of the European car in her happy high, stifling giggles and endless questions she had called him Ulquiorra.

The man had stilled considerably, "Who is_ Ulquiorra?"_

A blistering cold set against her heart as her fingers fumbled close to her chest trying to keep her beating heart from bleeding out, "I didn't mean- it wasn't," He eyes twisted with such sorrow, face draining of color as her head fell down into her lap voice quivering, "_I'm sorry." _

His fingers adjusted the rear view mirror as he began to back out of the apartment parking spot. A droll settled as he headed from unfamiliar part of the city back towards the park. He broke the silence some minutes later. "Are we going the right way?"

Peering from her knees Orihime awoke from her cationic slumber surprised to have fallen asleep in her sorrowful thought. She nodded in the positive as he drove further down the road.

She stared out of the window lost somewhere, "It may help if you tell me some directions." He spoke breaking swiftly at a red light turning to look at the strange peculiar girl.

"Sorry!" She squeeled. "I-I uh..."

"You don't have to apologize," He quipped turned once again towards the road although Orihime could read the bemusement gleaming against his lip.

"I live one street down. Just over the hill. The apartment to your left."

Smoothly he turned into the drive of the complex, parking the car at the left entrance to the fourth complex she had pointed out, "Thank You..."

His voice abstract faraway more so then it had been anytime before beckoned her attention,"You may call me whatever you like." Orihime's eyebrows lifted hopefully, "It doesn't matter." Shutting her down. His eyes seeming so human as his words became more cruel went on, "This will be the last time we will see each other."

She fell, plunged. Her heart seeping out of her breast sinking her life away. She didn't understand, couldn't understand. His words tore her much more than the soft lying smiles of her friends. A stranger a man she had barely known more than a few hours. Orihime ripped herself from the car slamming the door shut. She wrenched herself in place, her mind told her to march upstairs vehement at the man, but something else, something stronger the insane childish part of heart sent her to knock on the glass.

On her face a petulant determined frown. He ignored her. She tried for the door finding it still unlocked, flopping herself down in the seat with her arms wrapped securely under her bosom. She huffed garnering the mans attention. Looking as if she was about to shout, but her shoulders slump not in a submissive way but in a way that transformed her from cutely impudent to serious and beautiful. She crossed her hands into her lap, gathering her courage as he stared at him impassively. "My name is Orihime Inoue, Please take care of me.

!-!-!

As he entered his apartment a weary fatigue tethered his body. Falling into the firm sofa mattress propping his head against the armrest he contemplated his unusual morning. The girl, that strange woman, _Orihime Inoue_ had been a rather interesting creature he could admit. Beautiful in a disarrayed way snuggling into his clothing, breathing into his shirt as if he was her safe haven.

He couldn't understand what possessed him to bring the bawling unhinged woman to of all places his home, but as she clung to his arm- her eyes caressing he couldn't help but wish to shelter her. He tried to analyze his strange feelings more but was interrupted by the tell-tale sound of an opening door.

"_Fr__é__re! Fr__é__re, _Brothzer!" A tingling voice called opening the door. "Zer you are brothzer."

"Emile." He warned, the young boy jumping gleefully onto the couch. "What is that?"

"What iz what brothzer." Aure glared at the two tiny swimming pest gathered in his smaller brother's hand.

"Those things." He pointed tapping the bag a little to hard for the fishes comfort as the darted away from him. Emile pulled the back closer to chest pouting childish in a way that made Aure's mind go back to that strange woman.

"Aw, these are fish brothzer you know that." Emile cried, "Zey are for you." Noticing the other things jumbled in the boys hand the coal haired man shook his head evenly pointing towards the door.

"No throw them out. Put them down the sink. I don't want them."

"Brothzer!" Wined the ash head boy. Already jumping from the couch, shuffling the fish items from one arm to the second as he swept a stack of books from an end table onto the clean floor.

"Emile." The man sharply called but the boy in his happy enjoyment ignored his calls.

Placing the fish onto the tabletop he ran to the guest room's bath the sound of water entering glass filtered from the room. "Don't be such a how do zey say it? A spoilsport! Don't be such a spoilsport brothzer." Emile cried from the door. Aure stood gathering his fallen books stacking them gently between his arms.

Aure leaned down glaring at the two intruders. "Trash." He huffed under his breathe. Attempting to scare the two smelly, freeloading, unintelligent poor things to death.

"Brothzer!" Peeked in a head of young Emile; he thought the little boy would scold him for frightening the two fish but completely blindsided him, "Uhhmmm, who does zis belong to?" The little boy questioned pressing a gray-blue garment to his chest.

**Thank you all for reading you encouragement helps me a lot. I'm trying my best to keep everyone in character. Also for anyone confused the man Orihime calls Ulquiorra real name is Aure, sorry if that confused anyone. **

**Have a wonderful day, hope you enjoy the chapter and please review.**


	3. By the Sea

**So I'm in dead days for Finals don't know if that means there will be slower updates or faster ones, I'm a habitual procrastinator so... We'll see. **

**Also I forgot to mention this I own nothing- well I own a few things, just nothing that has to do with this fanfiction. Enjoy!**

**!-!-!**

**By the Sea**

Aure glared at the two semi-permanent residents of his home. "Trash." He deemed plodding his long white finger against the bowl. Sullenly the little fish swam the white veltail in particular sashaying as it flippantly turned its tail; glum green eyes disappearing in loo of his rump swaying irritably at the man who found favor in poking his home.

He glared.

"Brothzer don't be mean to za fish." He grumbled, poking the large glass bowl a tiny bit harder. "Zey have feelings too!"

"Don't award these stupid creatures with the sensation of emotion Emile. They have the attention span of a parasite, and only accomplish to make waste and procreate. They are filth. Not worth the-"

"Zis one looks like you Aure!" Emile squealed picking the fishbowl up for the nth time and propping the smelly content under his brother's nose. "Look, Look!" The happy vibrations of the little boys voice added in with the exited tremors of his hand as he danced around with tank seemed to make the elegant veltail plod away, in stiff swift strokes. "He acts just like you too." The boy giggled.

Two large eyebrows frumpled down in minute displeasure, he was not amused. Aure crumpled deeper into his couch. His countenance frumpy and exhausted seem to multiply at the shrill vocals of his rather energetic younger brother increase. "I don't want the fish Emile, bring them back to where you got them from."

"But brothzer." the boy whined, knees knocking together. Pouting he fell right before his brother the soft pudgy fingers of hands gripping onto pale cheeks. "I want you to 'ave company. You are always alone. Zese can be your friends!" The boy pleaded laying his forehead against his brother. "I just want you to be happy."

"Hmphh..." He swallowed the haughtiness edging very close to his voice. Slowly cold fingers lay onto the delicate warmth of his brothers curly hair running soft comforting circles. Eyes deadened Aure replied, "I don't need happiness, Emile. I don't need these things."

"you zey that, but you don't mean it!" Rebuked the child, weary to the point of spilling tears. Emile"s voice drew to a grave whisper pleading black eyes blank ushered with emotions that always seemed to complicated for such a young boy to pragmatize. "Just be happy brothzer."

"Emile," Aure called running his fingers down the boys ashen hair, to red supple cheeks until he had the boy by the armpit gently lifting and pulling Emile to a comfortable seat beside him, "I don't need to be happy. I am content as I am, I need nor want nothing." He coldly shouldered.

Lost Emile fumbled beside his brother clasping the poor shuffled fishbowl deeper into his lap. The two fish lapped leisurely, fumbling every two seconds the boy seemed to squirm and wriggle. Shuffling the boy leaned back against the other side of the armrest. His legs propped lazily onto Aure's dark brown crumpling pants almost forgotten of the heavy damp atmosphere which existed mere minutes ago.

The little boy tottered in his seat once again. Somewhat uncomfortable with the bold oddly shaped object digging into his rump . Fishing the item from under his bottom, a look of blissful nastalgia overcame his expression. Eyes narrowing Emile's grin crinkled, "You 'ave so many books Brothzer!"

Juggling the fish into his other arm Emile flipped wildly through the pages. Deep gray eyes alighted in whimsy carried from page to page awed, beseeching towards each little character drawn. "Read ziz to me, _sil vous plait." _Begged the child.

Unknown to the small child lay the man face serene in slumber. The sudden rush of rich noise spilling from the child stirred him. Aure looked from the crook of his arm, not entirely too surprised of entering a light sleep. He welcomed the interruption. Silently complacent for the grace that was his brother, a child whose energy kept him bobbling like a fish on hook.

Smoothing down his impossible to tame hair Aure yawned. He didn't trust dreams, dare not fall into their irrational whimsy. He preferred the monotony of reality, the safety of it truth compared to the twisted monstrosities that awaited for him in the dream world.

"Brothzer!" Cried the little child, stirring Aure from another faint into darkness. He shuffled himself up, blinking away what little sleep he could from tired green eyes. Grasping his drink he shugged; downing the last half of his cold coffee unmindful that he had already been his seventh cup for the day. "Zis is zat woman." The boys head tilted, "You like her."

"Hmmhph!" He chocked. Glaring all to much at his brother as he wiped the dribble of brew from his lip.

Emile smiled sliding the book close to show the embellished title, "You like ziz woman, Emily."

"I like her poetry." The man corrected collecting the book from the child's hand. "Did you want me to read it to you?" His deep baritone voice airy and almost drunken in the cloak of drowsiness.

Nodding cutely the little boys cheeks surged with fire as he inched over falling with a loud thump side to side against his brother.

"Awwhhh..." Emile fluttered through pages turning thoughtfully as he ooowed and awwed at the tiny imprinted pictures at the bottom, speculating wonderful amazing stories from there scribbles. He caressed the pages asking endless questions- endless speculations of what the tiny insignificant pictures detailed; story almost to wonderful to be real. Arms winding up and down in his excitement created tall tails of fictional beauty "_A dragon brothzer- dark and slithe! He shall save her! Ze girl in the tower!"_ The child's laughter tinkled as he scooted and hopped up in down in his seat making wonderful lies and fairy tales over simple scribbles.

Emile had always been a hopeful change, incredibly naive but dangerously sharp. He couldn't read English but was well on his way of understanding it. The boy grasped languages in a way that made Aure oddly envious, as did almost everything the child did. He reminded Aure of a dainty butterfly, something easily taken by a turbulent change in the wind and yet remaining as vibrant and same as when it began.

Aure had to agree he adored the boy as much as he found him to maliciously annoying. For Emile could turn a fictional world into something beautiful with only lies and unflappable ignorance while he a man who had a way with words unlike any other could only make the pages move as it had always down; recall the wording, the script, appreciate the text and font but unlike a child could not make it come alive.

"Read ziz one, please." Pointed Emile down to the picture of a lone woman holding a small pup close to her heel. She stood on top of pier staring off into the coming ships along the sea. She seemed comforted in her loneliness Aure Imagined, running his hand along the long the ink horizon of the sea.

Turning down to the worn script Aure's orbs, precise, practiced quipped through the text as the tumult of information organized from eyes, to mind, to mouth. He enjoyed this poem a bit more so then he should. It was after all one of his favorite. If he was a man for wishes he would hope to be much like the poet dragged into the safety and emptiness of the sea, to be bombarded and lost there under the waves- left to be nothingness.

He began smooth delicate words pouring deeply from the cavern of his pearl lips,"_I started Early, took my dog and visited the sea. The mermaids in the basement came out to look at me." _He began. "A_nd __Frigates in the upper floor extended hempen hands. presuming me to be a mouse Aground __,_**_opon_**_ the Sands_." He wondered how cold the sand must have felt under her feet surely without the sun in such early morning it must have been unselfishly cold. He lingered to the next line a story he had read to his brother many times before." Read the next stanza Emile.

"Ah yes. Uhmm... began the boy placing the two fish down beneath the shelter of his feet. "But no man moved me, till the tide-" The man sighed hiding a small nonexistent smile under his exasperation.

"I asked you to read the text not recite it."

Aure sat up as well watching the boy stumble to read the unfamiliar text. "_But'ah no ma-hn moved meh..._ Brothzer zis is difficult! I cant read zis." Planting the large novel back into the coal haired man's hand. The man stiffened in what Emile could only reflect to be the closest thing for laughter for his brother.

"Fine." The man burbled turning the book close.

"Aren't you going to finish?" The boy cried out sending curls every which way against his red puffy cheeks.

Aure stood grabbing his coffee mug as he entered the kitchen. A drawl noise filled the loft, the soft murmurs of the coffee machine working extra hard to produce another pot of brew. "I don't need to read it. I already know what's going to happen." Teased the older man, his voice spitefully even and monotone.

"Brothzer!" Emile whined grabbing the lanky man by the boney middle and sticking his wet salty tears onto Aure's now damp black shirt. "Don't be mean to me!" He shifted the older mans weight from foot to foot refusing to let his vice grip go.

Aure curved his fingers under the boys chin holding his thumb and forefinger against the smaller child's neck pinching just enough to send the boy gasping in discomfort. He was often ungentle with boy not unnecessary so but found words to cruel to break the child so sublimated for controlled pinches and taunts.

"Zat hurts! Aure!" Whimpering Emile cradled his hand against his hot neck. "You hurt me," cried the little boy pulling his neck away and rubbing his fingers against the soreness.

"You put yourself in that situation."

Sticking out his tongue little Aure tried to pacify himself. "Did not."

A trill interrupted the boys. The ruffled child deflating back into something even more serene than his chipper happiness. Emile pulled what resembled a pager from the front pocket of his pulley. "It _maman_. I guess... I guess it iz time to go." He pouted. He started towards the door fumbling against pleasantly stacked books and material. He turned in mid stride the frumpy sling backpack carasoling with a rather delicate stack of writing material. "I almost forgot! Ah here, zis are for za fishy. Zey are snacks."

Aure fingers dumbly clamped around the little fish flake container unable to tell the child already dissapeared from the apartment he one hundred percent, sincerely, under any circumstances did not want to keep those damnable, unintelligent fish.

As the door came to a close, Aure fell stiffly onto the couch looking down between his legs on the wooden slab flooring at the two gallant goldfish. It would have been deceptively easy enough to prod his leg only a few inches more in order to knock the fishbowl over, strike it down and watch the drying heap flop around. He contemplated the notion but lacked the sadism and time to watch the putrid things flip around for ten minutes in a dance for oxygen. Besides he didn't want to damage any of his books anymore than they had already been by a energetic child and a bumbling red headed woman.

Picking up the bowl he determined the best deed and surest would be down the slippery trail of the drain, disposal and all- he felt the toilet was one step too good for them, they were below waste and excrement, just disposal bits that had no place, no meaning.

Placing the fishbowl down onto the counter top, he turned on the drain wanting it to be an easy, difficult free job. He would just slant the bowl over and let the things run the course of nature. Tipping the bowl dramatically out sunk the large white painted veltail. Flopping loudly against the sink. Unfortunately the cretin fell off to the corner of the modern posh sink refusing to flap or twist around, merely sitting pacified waiting for death. Aure felt a strange surge of appreciation for the animal, He could feel a liberation a sense of community with its actions, but not nearly enough to keep him from tilting more water out of the bowl in an effort to lessen the friction keeping the veltail gripped to the sink.

All of them were dumb creatures where he was concerned. Things unfit for life had no reason to exist, they only lend to soil the air and pollute the world with more idiotic offspring. He remembered the second fish a fat thing, a pretty sight he imagined for the world of goldfishes and how it swept so sickeningly close to the glum veltail. She- he superimposed must as well be an idiot. He imagined the small little ryoukan flailing away sitting at the bottom of the bowel as not to be tipped over, savoring its sweet short life a few seconds more but as he studied the water he noted the creature. She dart from the end of the bowl to the tip not strong enough to flip over the edge and down the drain into assisted suicide.

It tried again, and for the third time. In such an intriguing way it brought back the baffling sensation he felt much earlier in the day when that woman, so petulant and enduring had reappeared in his car seeking to make a relationship, a friendship a courtship of some sort with him. It was foolish, she was foolish but he would soon admit he was too.

Before he knew it the pale man had wrapped his long fingers around the deathly still white veltail. Feeling the way it body deflated in agonizing breath circling and inflating all to slowly.

"You, would have died." He reasoned, "Had this idiot not been an idiot." Stated the man sinking the fish back into the safety of the fishbowl. He ran a fresh thing of temperature water back into the bowl placing the two swimming creatures back onto the cleared end table.

Dumbly he sprawled out onto the couch, body going numb at its comfort. His mind toddling in and out of consciousness found focus on the only subject his mind could coherently think about. A red haired woman, with eyes much to young for her. A soul to kind and childlike to belong to an adult.

He couldn't understand her, didn't understand her, would wish if he believed in a maker that she would all but disappear, turn into an intangible creation much like his dreams. But she was as stupid and unfathomable almost as much as a fish who would seek death with a creature who wouldn't care to live.

Picking up the long thinning Kimono he fisted the garment tightly between his hand remembering the way the tight linen smeared in delicate gold, pearl and tawny red starfish across her summery skin. Why had she been out in such a tight and restricting dress, so delicate, so helpless, moaning and pleading with such deep gray eyes, such searing hot fingers. He had been surprised that he was able to keep his hands of her, at least for the most part the night before.

Tugging on a piece of black hair framing his face he imagined she was what hanging out with a drunk would feel like. Crying to moping, to squeals of laughter to tears again. She drew a warmth and vitality that only came with intoxication. She possessed the kind of torturous personality quirks that she could give a man whiplash.

Thinking of her hot skin he recalled her grey iris wet and glossy as she all but caressed him, mumbling nothingness and everything into the hush of the night.It hadn't been the first time that stupid woman had called him Ulquiorra, then as well last night. As she cried as she giggled, as she begged and even deeply in her sleep. _"Ulquiorra."_ Mumbling tightly into his shoulder as he not to gently fastened her into the car. She had prayed him not to leave, bumbling as she slurred with a raw happiness, curling fastening her fingers against his coat as she lay her head so sweat into the crook of his neck. Looking stupidly in a way which would have made most believe they were lovers. But he a man with no heart, he would not search for happiness, plagued with terrors only the dead should relive had turned away from her; feeling a burn blossoming against his gloomy heart. He didn't have to shoulder her, she did not affect his consciousness in any way- he berated himself. He could and he would turn away and never see this woman, this broken woman again.

That fearful shriek as she lay burying herself onto the cement dispassion and alone did nothing. Those wild gray eyes clouded over in hysteria bought him no pity.

He had left her there to cry, trying as he might to muster a few minutes of energy. But it hurt in a way he was unaccustomed to-his heart ached with a pumping adrenaline as his mind wondered back to that crumpled fallen form. He was not hers, nor she his, yet he felt oddly committed. Committed to this strange woman who had the same instincts, attention span of a odd ruddy fish too ignorant to live.

A sinister curiosity in what was left of his unmoving heart caused him to turn the vehicle in the unfamiliar direction across the bridge. She had fallen asleep in the rain blanketed by a mass of wet red hair haloing her like pool of blood. Asleep the street as absolute and empty as it had been when he had abandoned her.

There she lay under the heady lamplight of the street, broken and brittle like a fallen star. He paused the car, moving to touch her, fingers hesitant to brush against her hot wet form not recalling exactly when he had abandoned his car to retrieve her. Lifting the sopping mess Aure dropped her onto the car seat shuffling only once to pull the long wet red strands of hair into the safety of the car.

Aure reasoned pushing her out some point in the more decent neighborhoods in the same way one would do an abandoned kitten or pup. Her slurred speech, her tears, the mumbles of names lost on her tongue all irked him. Slamming the breaks he halted intrigued to hear what wild things such a girl could fathom in her dreams. He envied her sleep, studying in a dead manner of how she relished in it, how she curled up so content, eyes fluttering under her lids dreaming of sand dunes, fantastical adventures, and a man named Ulquiorra Sciffer.

And before he knew it, glaring at this woman car still running against the side; he too had fallen asleep, and what met him was a blank peacefulness. A rare blackness so abysmal so bleak- it lacked all trepidation all fear, lingering in nothingness.

Aure awoke, the crying of a beast savage and untamed rattled deep in his mind; thoughts scrambled took a few minutes to regroup.

What had he been thinking about beyond the troubles of surrealism- Orihime Inoue. He wasn't kind man Aure knew this for sure, nor was he inherently mean. But somehow a rare tenderness shouldered the contraption in the chasm of his ribcage causing him to clothe the subtle waterlogged woman in dry garments, run a clothe against her burning skin and lay her beneath the soft entrapment of covers. Lay beside her and run white fingers through knotting hair all to kind and gentle in a way he had never been before.

!-!-!

_Message received at 10:42 PM: Orihime did you go home call me-_

_Message received at 10:57 PM: Hey Hime, where are you? We-_

_Message received 12:4-_

Orihime pulled the plug of the tape recorder, landing on her bed as she washed the voice record machine fumble off the nightstand. It clattered loudly.

She couldn't stand the ambiance of her friends voices, they gnawed at her conscious irritably. Message after message smashup of voices calling in sincerity of her well being. "We were worried about you..." the words fell like a whisper lonely and hostile in the silence of the room.

Throwing her arms in the air Orihime grimaced. Frumping against her yellow and pink sheets in a mild tantrum as mind ran a mile a minute," I don't know what to do!" Splaying her fingers out she looked through the webbed space, until her eyes lay on the calming blank slate of white ceiling. "I..." She kicked her legs using the momentum to throw herself onto her stomach, stretching her arms back out as she whined out into her pillow. She let out a few muffled screams into her firm pillow kicking her feet back and forward in anxious frustration. When she seemed spent out of movement she lay there motionless, "I just don't know what to do."

A few minutes of hopeless thinking soon turned into depressing hours. Before she could think to settle herself more comfortably for a nap, at least grab Mr. Danish her stuffed frog who took a suicidal nosedive of the bed a few hours ago and waffle down a whole glass of milk-

She fell asleep.

The telephone rattled. A startled Orihime tumbled from on top of her sheets finding herself pulled in a messy display of covers and sore rump as she sat dumbfounded on the floor. It was terribly late as she tried to rattle the sleep from her eyes. The phone trilled again sending the alarmed Orhime up to her knees struggling to grab the phone off the hook. As her movements ceased long strands of gold hair fell back into a state of motionless her fingers ghost the phone. The sinewy red head now moved with a phantom slowness, baring her hand down as the ringing continued. It lasted another full second before it twirled into silence.

She breathed deeply happy to belate a coming confrontation with one of her friends. A sigh rushed her features, content. The trill vibrated through her wrist frightening her. Hesitating for only a second her body responded before her mind could. Twisting the phone into her grasp she slammed it to her ear."Owie..." She cried rubbing the red of her ear. " Hello! I'm so sorry I didn't call yesterday, I just uhmm... you see there were fish- and I just disappeared, and I'm such a bad friend- it's all my fault- I forgot to say something- just got distracted by marshmallow muffins trying to... and robot aliens! And-and!-"

"_Orihime_?" She hushed. Glancing into her phone.

A whisper stretched across her throat, "Kurosaki-kun."

The silence stretched achingly. Orihime listening to the shallow rough breathing of the other occupant on the phone. He sounded distress, although she reasoned he always seemed in a state distress now in days. "Is everything alright?"

A buzz slowly overtook the hallow draws of breathe, achy and rich like the sound of trilling locus and dangling cicadas. "Ichigo?" It was the first time he had called her in years.

"_Inou- Orihime. I- can I call you back._" He voice was unpleasant almost begging she could imagine he looked rather uncomfortable on the other line. Head dangling in his hands as he attempted a confrontation with his childhood friend. "_It wasn't you..." _

Orihime gathered herself onto her bed the pulsation of a headache starting to imerge, drawing her knees to her chest allowing the willowy curls of telephone wire to rest in her between the space in her lap. A beat passed, "It wasn't me." She finally responded.

"_Orihime..."_

"It's okay Kurosaki-san!" She cried a fake cheerfulness abducting her voice as tangent and childlike as it had always been. "I know." Twisting the curling wire between her fingers.

W_e're all afraid._

Orihime held the phone to her ear waiting for the relieving sound of a dial tone. The somber bleating warmed and settled her frantic heart. Falling down once again sea star shape she contemplated.

"it's not okay... to be afraid." Whispering into the sheets; Orihime turned refusing to cry, spill tears over childhood. She removed her hand, the left which had instinctively moved to dry the hot blotchy tears from her face in response to the achy sick feeling of heart; throwing it back to lay on the adjacent side of the bed.

In her heated state Orihime could only buckle up the energy to let her mind wander. She reckoned that she may have loathed childhood at some point, wiping away porous tears. Like any other she didn't live in a world of fairy tales and breadcrumbs, it was never happy ending and yet she felt safe in those foggy never-land thoughts. Safe in the arms of her friends, safe in the refuge of their heart as they hoarded over hers. They loved her; in adolescence saw such an innocent doleful thing. A child who needed to be coddled and protected, but even she admitted looking upon and inside of herself she wasn't much of a child anymore.

Clasping and wringing her hands together she furrowed her already pulled frown. Much like any other Orihime feared what the world had in store for her, but she wouldn't just as casually deny it. They All fear as much as love, anger, despair and trust. For these integral parts were after all an intimate and lovely composition of the human condition.

She placed the phone onto the hook, unwilling to be lost in childhood whimsy for a second longer. She would fear as only humans could but would wholeheartedly to embrace the unknown hurdling head first at her.

Dangling her feet off the edge of the bed she imagined she looked silly splayed out like a bereft little thing, hands and feet wide as if she were in mid cartwheel taking up space like a lethargic overgrown star fish._ Starfish?_ _Star fish... star fi_- "Darnit!" Orihime sat up so fast her brain thundered against her skull sending her thoughts swampy. "Tatsuki! I- her, where is it? Where is it!" Frustrated hands met hair, Orihime tried to remedy herself with her one known balm. Fingers dancing against her right wrist she searched for the comforting material of cold clicking metal to even her dowering, distressing mood.

Nothing was there but the sensitive bare of flesh.

Orihime baffled fled towards the door. The familiar space to much emotion on her straining heart. She sat outside bum rested on the top of a red fire lane curb fingering through dry brittle hair, bare feet smudging against the roadside. She dropped her hands into her lap staring up into the sweltering heat of the sky allowing the hallow comforting sensation of drowning cloud her features.

_!-!-! _

He smoothed the rich material between his fingers. Finding the clothe slightly coarse somewhat over worn, brittle and holey as if it had sat in a empty closet for too long only to be thrown and manipulated onto a busty foreign body. Running his fingers down the lapel sides he immersed himself not upon the crooked bronze starfish on the dress but of the deep blue richness in which they leisurely swam.

He recalled the poem was again drawn to the sensual tides the lovely ocean decorated onto the fabric._"But no Man moved Me, till the tide went past my simple shoe.__" s_lowly his fingers moved with the waves falling down into the deepening crevice of the ocean as it disappeared between the open crinkled space of where the material fell upon the chest. His hand slipped over the knot dancing down into the pitches of glistening black sea. _"__And past my apron,and my belt and past my bodice too."_

Helterskelter the kimono streamed through his fingers the material pouring down inch by inch onto the floor sensual and lucid as a stream. Candidly he recalled the sopping girl. She constricted breathy in the dress seemed so beautiful and ethereal in her sadness. He drew a breathe,_"And made as he would eat me up as wholly as a Dew. Upon a dandelion's sleeve and then I started too."_

Aure recalled the open smile on the woman's face, her gentle eyes and childish words. He did not know whether to object or despise it. To reject it was a familiar sensation for him but to despise her was to give the woman substance, to deign a sense of meaning from that girl, woman- child.

Again his eyes reptilian and cold followed the wet strokes of sea against the yukuta puzzled by the insistent glowing starfish so small yet brazen with light. So bold and childish they filled the dark void that bled against the bottom tear of the fabric. Aure's finger trailed one last time,_"And he- he followed close behind. I felt his silver heel upon my ankle," _Scrawling up in a pert line seeming indifferent as he cut through the gold starfish, blotting them under his heavy finger "_then my shoes would overflow with pearl."_

He placed the fabric down folding just as neatly as he untangled it. Drudging through the last stanza he humored himself with the possibility of visiting the strange woman again, at least in order to return her dress. Maybe in favor of watching her eyes flutter between hysterical glee and dull lifelessness. She was after all an interesting woman."_Until we met the solid town no one seemed to know..."_

Dropping white hands down into deep pockets Aure pulled out the trinket. He glanced out into the void undeterred by the vast immenseness of large charcoal buildings, and bustling cars, too baffled with the violent beating of his chest. Which grew only comfort by the warming cold of a crooked broken bracelet. _"And bowing with a mighty look-" H_e tinkered with the bracelet once again unsure of why he felt comforted placing it so boldly against the pocket of his chest_. _The old broken thing dulling the strange ache by his sternum"_At me the sea withdrew."_

_!-!-! _

_**I truly hope you enjoy this chapter, and please feel free to review, or chastise me for the chapter and overall story in general. As a note I have this story loosely plotted out to a degree but most the details at least are writing themselves. For anyone curious Emile was never in the rough draft when I began writing the story he just kind of appeared and I was like wtf who is this kid... I like him- he can stay. (Sorry that's how my mind works.) I hope everyone has a wonderful day and good luck for you guys finishing up school and taking finals.**_


	4. The Nearest Dream

**Yay new chapter guys! Sorry for the wait. Enjoy!**

** I wanted to say to all of you guys who reviewed, who can't or haven't responded to I really want to say your reviews and support are very appreciated and I thank you very sincerely for taking interest in my story. I wish I could respond to you guys individually to give my thanks... and possibly answer some of your questions. I really appreciate all of you guys who take the time to read this story and I hope you guy's enjoy it!**

**!-!-!**

_I found the phrase to every thought_

_I ever had, but one;_

_And that defies me, - as a hand_

_Did try to chalk the sun_

_To races nurtured in the dark; -_

_How would your own begin?_

_Can blaze be done in cochineal,_

_Or noon in mazarin?_

_It was only a small little lie. Just one feathery white fictitious tale. No one would know; had to know- just a secret between friends._

_!-!-!_

Up or down? She wondered pulling her hair into her hands for the hundredth time that morning. Watching her reflection in the mirror the busty red head sighed; if she couldn't even decide such a baseless action of styling her hair then how could she ever hope to make adult decisions in the future. Would she always be indecisive, unassertive unchanging- slapping her cheeks the girl let red tendrils fan the front of her face. _No need to put yourself down Orihime! Think happy thoughts! _The girl commanded herself.

Adjusting more carefully to the front of the mirror she pinned the hair once more on the top of her crown. "Up it is." With deft hands she pinned thin tan bobby pins through her hair, studying the precision of such random pinning through her reflection. Nibbling at the bobby pins steadied between her teeth she pulled the other half of her hair upwards in attempt to fasten the long hair just as neatly as the other side. Adjusting the piece just so, she reached for one of the pins nested between her trembling lips.

Why was she even doing this; frustration was eating at her. Defeated she dropped the red bundle. Hair fell down trailing into nooks around her ear and shoulders; free from the squeezing shaky fingers. Orihime swept one hand through her sore scalp as the other massaged her frumpled forehead. Why did simple decisions have to be so difficult? It was easy to choose up or down, this or that, but in the end neither would make her happy.

Maybe it would be better if she just gave up for a moment and gave her mind some time to rest. Or so she thought.

Leaving Ulquiorra some hours before had aroused such a giddiness inside of her that by the time she tucked herself deep within her sheets she couldn't even contrive the will to sleep. For many hours of the night she paced her room lost within whimsical fantasy. Images and daring dreams of dragons and knights, warm summer mornings and the occasional talking roly-poly kept the teen stranded somewhere in the clouds.

But after hours upon hours of sweet thoughts her mind turned; drowning into muddles of goopy gray. Life was filled with infinite choices- so many that by not making a choice was a choice within itself, and yet for some reason her world- Orihime Inoue's lay only a choice; this or that- she wasn't privy to this and that; or nothing at all.

Half-empty or half-full? She hated the question. How simplistic to sum up the life of man. What would she then choose? Did she have to choose at all? Could it be possible to retain her dreams and still have the companionship of her friends? It seemed an impossible call.

Crawling into the one singular chair of her tiny nook the distraught little red head sat _crisscross applesauce_, burying her head into the safety of warm fingers.

She didn't want to look anymore, the papers scattered so neatly on her dining table; once a testament of all her hard work now seemed so abysmal and frightening. She would be leaving in a few months' time, full sale to France. Her apartment would be merely a dream, her friends a forgotten past. Would she miss them?

At one time she had spoken with no reservation- her friends were her heart. Each one of their sorrows; each lone achievement was for all to bear. So why then did it seem that they were so disconnected?

She had enough of half-empty questions to last her a lifetime.

_Ding-dong..._

Startled Orihime gestured a peak towards the door in such a way it seemed as if she could look right through it. Who could it be? Glancing at the ceramic brightly painted clock above her head she awed at the time. It couldn't possibly be- he had after all said, _not today, but the day after-_

"Orihime!_"_

Tatsuki? How unusual for the busy woman to visit her, more especially at five in the morning. Unraveling her legs the bundle of nerves approached the door; oddly hesitant to face her friend in such a dower mood. Regardless she fumbled the three latches; one for decoration and two for safety as the building tenant often liked to remind her.

Outside in the quiet of the early morning stood a small though petite figure decked in what Orihime could only assume was running gear much too heavy for summer. She seemed lost in a thought her head turned in such a becoming manner. "Tatsuki. Come in!"

Turning the smaller of the two women finally noted her attendant. "Sorry Orihime, I was distracted." The spiky haired woman summed up. Carving her fist into the loose front pockets of her large jacket she surveyed the apartment complex one more time. "It's so quiet. It stunned me for a little while."

"Well...that's understandable. You do you usually come in the afternoon. It's a bit more... rowdy around then," Surmised Orihime.

"Yeah rowdy wasn't the exact word I was thinking of." Claimed the brunette stepping through the doorway. She shuffled for a moment contemplating weather to take her shoes off. Deciding against, skeptic eyes turned towards her sleepy target. "I don't understand why you don't just move in with me; your lease is expiring soon isn't it?" Tatsuki questioned. Studying the room she huffed, "I really worry about you Orihime I'd feel a lot better if you were near."

Molding a hand on her friends jacket sleeve Orihime encouraged a smile, "Tatsuki this place is perfectly safe. I know from the outside in it's not that pretty but it has character a-and that's all that matters." Conviction died from her frame as passionate brown glared down upon her, "It's my home," Orihime voice lingered in the barest of a whisper.

"A home isn't a place Orihime! A home is with your friends," huffed the older teen fumbling her fingers through her hair. "This might as well be a trashcan on wheels."

"…" Silver eyes cast down, fingers threading together as knees battled awkwardly into a submissive stance. Looking down a frown donned her face while tremors shook her body.

"Don't give me that look, you know it's true!" Grumbled the irate teen.

Pursing her lips the beauty quivered, "But I'm not looking at you." Whimpered the childish red head. Cheeks blossoming out redness tinting her face as she pouted.

Something about her words caused an insistent lurch to bubble upon Tatsuki's heart. Crawling calloused fingers through her hair she scowled breathing roughly out of her nose. "Yeah…you seem to be doing that a lot lately." Scowling the tinier of the two pressed her hand on the apex of her sleeve holding back her frustration.

Stunned and unable to speak the red head breathed a few times turning away in fear of betraying an expression. "Tatsuki... wha- what's wrong?" Soothed Orihime disregarding the girls fit. Fingers firmly resting on her closest friends shoulder head tucked beside the girl's neck.

Reaching deep inside of her heart Orihime submitted. Even if her mind cautioned her to distance her heart, her very soul stubbornly reached out to tether around Tatsuki.

"This isn't like you. We use to tell each other everything."

"That's the problem!" Pulling her shoulders back the short frumpy athlete stalked towards the kitchen sinking into the only available chair in the room. "We use to tell each other everything!" Kicking her feet onto the table she growled. The clinging of the poor cringing table legs trying to hold the weight of one overly strong frustrated girl.

Oproaching her dearest of companions Orihime's heart felt oddly vulnerable. She thought with such distance and time between them the pain of watching one of her friends would be lifted- gone, vanquished. No longer a substance of connection between their hearts to make them vulnerable but how laughably wrong she was. It burned. Their kinship, Tatsuki's pain, the walls that sat between them all twisted and prodded upon one poor grey eyed soul.

Fresh burning empathy spread from the chasm of the younger teen's chest. How much it hurt to see such a beloved friend in so much pain. "Tatsuki... I'm here." Whispering like a mother to its babe, "You **can **tell me everything." Peach fingers danced onto to sultry, shaking, blotchy skin coaxing her companion to words.

Shuffling to the other side of the table Orihime sat resolutely and yet consoling ready to bare the weight of the athlete's admission.

The long black sleeves of her jacket framed trembling brown eyes riddled with heaviness.

Vindictive brown battled with sympathetic grey, coaxing agitation out of the grumpy tomboy.

"He didn't tell me anything."

She wanted to speak acknowledge the depth of the words her best friend spoke, but felt it better to allow the woman to collect her thoughts out loud. "I'm so angry. How could he do that to me?" bracing her head against the table Tastuki sucked on her teeth. "How stupid could I have been? I thought- we... I thought- I don't know what I thought but it wasn't this!"

Fingers soft and dainty weaved into the judo fighter's calloused hands, "What did Ishida-kun do?" Breaking the disquiet Orihime gathered her resolve and approached the heavy burden of the storm. Stretching her fingers she hummed dumbly under her breath giving enough time for the older teen to rant her poison laced emotions.

Pathetic coffee eyes rolled towards her petulant under the safety of a taut powerful set of arms. "What makes you think it's Uryuu?" A silent pause passed between the two a spark of familiarity within the action. "It's that obvious, huh?" She lamented embarrassment settling bitter on her quirking when the more unique of the two friends gave a definite vocal in affirmative.

Daring something between a cry and laughter Tatsuki shook her head. Standing Orihime scooted her chair back visibly cringing as the chair scuttled loudly.

Strolling into the kitchen Orihime pushed through cupboards. Voice sing-songy as she dug through bundles of packaged tea leaves. "Is there something you want to drink?" Poking her head out of the darkness she questioned, "I don't have coffee, sorry!" Stated the teen after searching for the third time for her emergency coffee supply.

"Coffee? Orihime that's the devil's pot. That stuff will kill you!" Half-joked the still dejected girl thrumming her fingers on the old chipped dining table.

A velum of red peaked beyond the little wall of kitchen. Pointer finger pressed into her chin.

"I thought you drink coffee?" Tatsuki scoffed something between indifference and unbelievability.

"I gave that stuff up months ago, Hime. Shit had me off my rocker. I'm kind of glad- but I will take some green tea." Stepping down she pulled the tea leaves from the canister, warming the kettle upon the stove.

Little flits of giggles escaped Orihime. "Is my Tatsuki all cultured now? Ishida-kun must really be rubbing off of you." Teased the woman settling the tea to boil on the stove.

At times she had envied the capabilities of modern tea makers but now she found an enjoyment in the simplicity of boiling teabags under the steam of her old iron kettle. After all the inconvenience of allowing the pot to brew held nothing to the sensual scent that wafted from the boiling. "So what's the problem?"

The red head could hear the nibbling over take the finger drumming. Nail biting was trait Tastuki still hadn't left behind.

A quiet engulfed the tiny apartment. Orihime fearing the girl may never respond. A sudden shutter from the whistling tea kettle seemed to break Tatsuki trance.

"He... He's leaving for London." Bitterness sharp and engulfing fleshed from the girls tongue.

Stilled a chill blew over her, sweat forming onto her clamming fingers. Gulping down the fear…guilt? Burning against her like salt splashed into a wound. Orihime slumped hoping against all hopes for the inevitable.

"He's leaving in two months." Her fingers running blankly on the stack of manila files on the table, "He knew for two years now! An international scholarship program or some shit… I ca-"

Trepidation registered before pain. Unaware she had screamed out at all. A figure approached but ignorantly she didn't sense it lost in the boisterous heat overtaking her form.

White foaming steam seeped from her arm splintering red at the skin. Dragging the unbearable heat to her chest she cried. Tears mangled her vision the appendage was ripped from her carefully nestled between trembling hands.

"Orihime! Are you alright?" Tatsuki clamored to remove the steaming kettle from the floor. Trading between checking the blotchy red whelps slowly glistening against peach skin and getting the poor little lamb out of the puddle of boiling water.

Tears flooded her eyes. Pain tearing against her leg and arms as an unbearable heat surfaced. Like a curtain separating her from the world waves of red split her vision. Sucking in a breathe she collected herself. Embarrassed of her weakness.

"S'okay." Standing the girl tried rubbing the tears from her eyes the fanning of cool air feeling like such poison against the raw scalded skin. "You just surprised me."

"Are you sure?" Tastuski asked protectively.

Clinching her teeth as she ghosted the skin she let out a breath of confirmation, "I'll be fine. It'll heal."

"I think-" A dull trill escaped out of the front pocket of her jacket. Not hesitating she snatched the instrument from her jacket with a vengeance. Orihime shuttered debating whether to give the wounds air or move as little as possible.

"Hello? NO! I'm mad at you!" Screamed the irate teen. Pulling the phone from her ear she made petulant faces at the foamy noises coming from the device. A few more moments of bastardizing insults following collected silence sent the conversation- screaming match? Into its apex, "I don't care screw you jerk!" screeched the tiny brunette slamming the phone shut.

"Was that?"

"Yeah..." Grumbled the bitter girl, "He wants to apologize." Looking at her limping friend Tatsuki shifted towards her shamed at her debacle. Ushering the girl to a seat she studied the burns contemplating on administering her amateur first aid abilities.

After a few moment of digging through drawers upon drawers the fighter looked up to her rather quiet friend. "Where's your first aid kit?"

"Uhhh… I don't have one?" Responded the red-head careful upon her words.

Looking up she shuttered at the mama bear expression over taking Tatsuki's face, "And why not?"

"Well It's….it's cause…"

Standing the girl gave a weak glare approaching the freezer. "That's no excuse. You don't have those magical…super powers anymore Orihime." Leaning down she pressed a pack of frozen peas onto her legs. Softly dabbing the skin with the harsh coldness, "You have to take care of yourself."

_I know. _

Her lips pursed. If only her friend knew how much she was making an attempt to care for herself. Tatsuki's fears were understandable after all. The last few years Orihime's temperament though sweet and genial as well didn't match her sullen and often reckless attitude.

Frowning she even dare say she was weaker before. At least then she had her shun shun rika as a pillar of strength. A cloud loomed around her sudden and heavy. Palpable to the point it strained her heart.

Stroking the table her fingers glided onto the manila folder sliding against the rough material. A spark ignited. Determined she glanced forward causing the girl beside her brows to furrow. Taming her expression Orihime confronted Tatsuki's frustration.

Eyes wide imploring Orihime dared to pipe, "Are you still angry?"

"At you? Of course not!" Argued the teen.

"Ano… I mean Ishida-kun." She corrected gaze tangled between curious and belligerent.

A spark of defiance leaked from Tatsuki glaring not at her friend but at her audacity. Something in those liquid greys pried the fighter to answer.

"Like hell I am!" Pointed the enraged teen slamming her fingers against the table. "It's horrible thing for somebody to invest so much time into someone else only for them to stab you in the back." Grumbling Tatsuki snuffed her fingers in her jacket probably in the attempt to break the device pocketed there. "It makes our relationship feel so shallow."

Silent she watched the girl passive with her actions but active in her thoughts.

"Fuck him." She snuffed pride wounded, "He's dead to me. All I have is Orihime and jijutsu, that's all I need! I know neither one of you will betray me!" Berated the teen.

Entering into a long circumventing rant to release her anger Tatsuki raged on heart sitting upon her sleeves as she admitted all woes and insecurities. Orihime's head nodded and bobbed to pacify her friend though her head was miles away twisting at a solution for the inevitable wound she would cause.

!-!-!

After some minutes between screaming, huffing and the collection of Orihime type what if's the frumpy teenager departed heart still unresolved and stinging.

Looking back once more at the closing door Tatsuki couldn't decide which was stranger the pitiable hurt look in Orihime's eyes, the sensitive burn wounds or her crazy hair.

!-!-!

Dread seeped into the crowd. He was accustomed to it. An anomaly they cackled- an oddity with a dour deposition and soulless gaze- Aure Bonet the prodigy.

Walking in tied to his arm was what he sufficed to guest as a warming present from the university. She wasn't an ugly thing per say but between her sickled figure and overly large doe eyes the two complemented each other like walking corpses. She fluttered her eyebrows and whined a protest as they were seated in an upscale clad table inside the ballroom.

Sipping on the acidic drink framed between his fingers Aure frowned. He was much closer to the stage than he may have liked. He dare think should he reach out his hands he could pull the sparkling tassels right from their lining on the platform though such immature show from him would cause quite a spoiling on his host universities reputation.

Beside him the skeleton of woman giggled merrily dredging herself in the collection of fine alcohol Katakura University offered. Her eyelashes battered faster and fewer times in between the more she gulped, and while her frequent touches weren't bothersome in the least they lacked a pleasantness that he couldn't name.

Twirling her finger between long round black curls she guffawed at her partners blank expression. Swigging back another glass her face contorted into cheers to match the crowd as the first speaker walked the stage. Grinning like idiots the crowd jeered and cackled at the unsavory entertainment chosen for such an important night.

Every so often a rare eye would turn to his table awed at the quietly serene corpse seated there. However; his evening partner was doing her best to draw attention to who she deemed to be the man of the hour.

"A toast," She quipped adjusting her scant ball gown, "The smartest man on earth. And the sexiest if I may say so myself."

Signature green eyes rolled sipping at the foreign glass before him, " Your encounter with men of the world must be limited. I am by no means as intelligent as you believe." Sliding his fingers against the shiny rim of his glass in order to reign in his glare.

Laughing openly the woman countered self-assured, "So modest. It's a little unbecoming. Though only intelligent men like yourself can so brazenly humble themselves and yet still be all haughty. But I do digress your handsomeness does very much outlive your rudeness. Grinning so Cheshire-like gave his mind a drunken buzz. "Do you think me stupid still?"

Suckling his cup heavy eyebrows arched removing themselves just slightly from their perpetual seat against his eyes. "I would be lying if I said no." Humming the hint of annoyance barely sealed behind his cold exterior.

"Honest to a fault I see. I like that. I like you as well." Her eyes batted together crinkling her lashes together as the hammiest smile overtook her feature. "But no worries, we have time. For now… just have a bit of fun on my sake. It would be kind of a splendor to be the one named for making the infamous Aure bonet smile."

He'd admit she was the most insensitive of all his lady dates so far possibly the stupidest as well. And something of that crooked grin just set his nerves on high gear. Glancing towards the stage with a frown he fingered his glass.

She gave that feathery laughter morbid almost distressed in its sound, "Just enjoy yourself. I'm not asking you to smile but I'd prefer not to be drunk alone." The stupid girl was causing quite the commotion. Half way out of her chair she was showing quite a reputation for the alumni of Katakura University.

Posing away he signaled a waiter. Had he been a gentleman he may have asked the man to close her tab and feed the oblivion a placebo of sparkling water- In this state she wouldn't be able to tell the difference anyway. But he was nothing close to gentlemanly and had no intention of staving the sharp tongue woman. Nonchalantly he requested to keep the drinks coming and supply him with whatever she was having.

!-!-!

Popping from her seat she rubbed the sore spot on her head irritably. Pushing away the letters in front of her she griped at her newest situation. The bakery shop in which she would be working in was foreclosing. Frustration grappled her nerves for hours as she debated ways in which she could stretch her savings for the next two months. What were the chances anyone would hire a girl who could only work a few weeks at the most.

Standing she approached the kitchen hesitant to cook anything on the stove in fear of her wondering mind. She had enough burns from the day to last her lifetime. Sighing she dug the fridge settling on a bland meal of chocolate ice cream on top of cold left over fried noodles.

Not having the energy to return the table she spoon fed herself the frosty tasteless meal grumbling at her problems.

Freezing she turned to the thudding footsteps surprised to hear any noises so late in the night from her usually homebody neighbors. Giving her mind an acceptable answer she reasoned it to be alien robots coming to rescue their captured space kitten sister from the horrible octopus king next door, or possibly at less reasonable guess the troublesome neighbor girl sneaking out of the window again but, that was preposterous.

Giggling to herself she couldn't even imagine the overly crazy situation. Robots were more reasonable-

Fright entered her skin. She couldn't sense reitsu anymore though the quivering sensation that someone was at the other side of her door caused her skin to crawl. A series of knocks grappled her door. Years of living in the apartment gave her the insight of knowing no one approached her door in the middle of night.

"Crap, crap, crap! Ice cream and cupcakes, explicative, explicative!-" Cried out the girl grasping everything from her tea kettle to a rolled up newspaper. Settling on a steel pot she leveled it in her hand before approaching the door with soft steps.

"Wh-who is it?" Crying out she unlatched the door ready to put all three months of little league t-ball into her hit. Something heavy fumbled onto her knocking her from her feat. Thrashing about her mind instinctively brought her knee into a fleshy firm abdomen.

A gasp escaped the intruder. Fueled by fear Orhime shrieked kicked and scratched towards her opponent only to find herself gasping as a knee settled onto her solar-plexus knocking the air from her as ice cold fingers pressed her mouth shut.

Shooting her arms in a blind frenzy she was stopped by a terse voice, "Open your eyes woman." Eyes popped wide staring wordlessly at the somewhat irate man toppled on top of her.

"Ano- I didn't mean to…"

Picking himself up calmly He gripped the girl softly dragging her to her feet. He stared at her leaning onto the door frame. "It's the next day." He confirmed closing his eyes for a moment to bate away the lucidness.

She approached him. "Yes it is." Her fingers ghosting against his cheek as he stared far off past her. Something was different. His figure still tense seemed to have a languid hypnotizing quiet and the impenetrableness of his expression had intensified to a mild seeable annoyance. Pursing her lips her followed her example furrowing his eyebrows down at her.

Leaning down his pale fingers slid through her colorfully golden hair. Peering at her troubled expressions his cold jaded eyes quivered softly. "I don't like it when you look at me like that."

Her heart fluttered uncomfortably his head settling onto her crown nose cold like a wet puppy sent a tingling sensation through her forehead. Deftly her fingers splayed onto the brink of his jaw. "Ulquiorra?"

He hummed in response his hair tickling her face as he slid his gaze further down to meet her imploring grey eyes.

Frowning once again she pushed his face softly back to study him intently, "Are you drunk?"

**And there you have it. Sorry for the long wait on this chapter guys. No excuses. Answers on who exactly Aure is will be answered in the future. Please give me your criticism I really enjoy it and it inspires me to write. Also happy new years to all of you guys out there! **


	5. The Phrase to every thought

**Yay new chapter guys! Sorry for the wait. Enjoy!**

** I wanted to say to all of you guys who reviewed, who can't or haven't responded to I really want to say your reviews and support are very appreciated and I thank you very sincerely for taking interest in my story. I wish I could respond to you guys individually to give my thanks... and possibly answer some of your questions. I really appreciate all of you guys who take the time to read this story and I hope you guy's enjoy it!**

**!-!-!**

_I found the phrase to every thought_

_I ever had, but one;_

_And that defies me, - as a hand_

_Did try to chalk the sun_

_To races nurtured in the dark; -_

_How would your own begin?_

_Can blaze be done in cochineal,_

_Or noon in mazarin?_

_It was only a small little lie. Just one feathery white fictitious tale. No one would know; had to know- just a secret between friends._

_!-!-!_

Up or down? She wondered pulling her hair into her hands for the hundredth time that morning. Watching her reflection in the mirror the busty red head sighed; if she couldn't even decide such a baseless action of styling her hair then how could she ever hope to make adult decisions in the future. Would she always be indecisive, unassertive unchanging- slapping her cheeks the girl let red tendrils fan the front of her face. _No need to put yourself down Orihime! Think happy thoughts! _The girl commanded herself.

Adjusting more carefully to the front of the mirror she pinned the hair once more on the top of her crown. "Up it is." With deft hands she pinned thin tan bobby pins through her hair, studying the precision of such random pinning through her reflection. Nibbling at the bobby pins steadied between her teeth she pulled the other half of her hair upwards in attempt to fasten the long hair just as neatly as the other side. Adjusting the piece just so, she reached for one of the pins nested between her trembling lips.

Why was she even doing this; frustration was eating at her. Defeated she dropped the red bundle. Hair fell down trailing into nooks around her ear and shoulders; free from the squeezing shaky fingers. Orihime swept one hand through her sore scalp as the other massaged her frumpled forehead. Why did simple decisions have to be so difficult? It was easy to choose up or down, this or that, but in the end neither would make her happy.

Maybe it would be better if she just gave up for a moment and gave her mind some time to rest. Or so she thought.

Leaving Ulquiorra some hours before had aroused such a giddiness inside of her that by the time she tucked herself deep within her sheets she couldn't even contrive the will to sleep. For many hours of the night she paced her room lost within whimsical fantasy. Images and daring dreams of dragons and knights, warm summer mornings and the occasional talking roly-poly kept the teen stranded somewhere in the clouds.

But after hours upon hours of sweet thoughts her mind turned; drowning into muddles of goopy gray. Life was filled with infinite choices- so many that by not making a choice was a choice within itself, and yet for some reason her world- Orihime Inoue's lay only a choice; this or that- she wasn't privy to this and that; or nothing at all.

Half-empty or half-full? She hated the question. How simplistic to sum up the life of man. What would she then choose? Did she have to choose at all? Could it be possible to retain her dreams and still have the companionship of her friends? It seemed an impossible call.

Crawling into the one singular chair of her tiny nook the distraught little red head sat _crisscross applesauce_, burying her head into the safety of warm fingers.

She didn't want to look anymore, the papers scattered so neatly on her dining table; once a testament of all her hard work now seemed so abysmal and frightening. She would be leaving in a few months' time, full sale to France. Her apartment would be merely a dream, her friends a forgotten past. Would she miss them?

At one time she had spoken with no reservation- her friends were her heart. Each one of their sorrows; each lone achievement was for all to bear. So why then did it seem that they were so disconnected?

She had enough of half-empty questions to last her a lifetime.

_Ding-dong..._

Startled Orihime gestured a peak towards the door in such a way it seemed as if she could look right through it. Who could it be? Glancing at the ceramic brightly painted clock above her head she awed at the time. It couldn't possibly be- he had after all said, _not today, but the day after-_

"Orihime!_"_

Tatsuki? How unusual for the busy woman to visit her, more especially at five in the morning. Unraveling her legs the bundle of nerves approached the door; oddly hesitant to face her friend in such a dower mood. Regardless she fumbled the three latches; one for decoration and two for safety as the building tenant often liked to remind her.

Outside in the quiet of the early morning stood a small though petite figure decked in what Orihime could only assume was running gear much too heavy for summer. She seemed lost in a thought her head turned in such a becoming manner. "Tatsuki. Come in!"

Turning the smaller of the two women finally noted her attendant. "Sorry Orihime, I was distracted." The spiky haired woman summed up. Carving her fist into the loose front pockets of her large jacket she surveyed the apartment complex one more time. "It's so quiet. It stunned me for a little while."

"Well...that's understandable. You do you usually come in the afternoon. It's a bit more... rowdy around then," Surmised Orihime.

"Yeah rowdy wasn't the exact word I was thinking of." Claimed the brunette stepping through the doorway. She shuffled for a moment contemplating weather to take her shoes off. Deciding against, skeptic eyes turned towards her sleepy target. "I don't understand why you don't just move in with me; your lease is expiring soon isn't it?" Tatsuki questioned. Studying the room she huffed, "I really worry about you Orihime I'd feel a lot better if you were near."

Molding a hand on her friends jacket sleeve Orihime encouraged a smile, "Tatsuki this place is perfectly safe. I know from the outside in it's not that pretty but it has character a-and that's all that matters." Conviction died from her frame as passionate brown glared down upon her, "It's my home," Orihime voice lingered in the barest of a whisper.

"A home isn't a place Orihime! A home is with your friends," huffed the older teen fumbling her fingers through her hair. "This might as well be a trashcan on wheels."

"…" Silver eyes cast down, fingers threading together as knees battled awkwardly into a submissive stance. Looking down a frown donned her face while tremors shook her body.

"Don't give me that look, you know it's true!" Grumbled the irate teen.

Pursing her lips the beauty quivered, "But I'm not looking at you." Whimpered the childish red head. Cheeks blossoming out redness tinting her face as she pouted.

Something about her words caused an insistent lurch to bubble upon Tatsuki's heart. Crawling calloused fingers through her hair she scowled breathing roughly out of her nose. "Yeah…you seem to be doing that a lot lately." Scowling the tinier of the two pressed her hand on the apex of her sleeve holding back her frustration.

Stunned and unable to speak the red head breathed a few times turning away in fear of betraying an expression. "Tatsuki... wha- what's wrong?" Soothed Orihime disregarding the girls fit. Fingers firmly resting on her closest friends shoulder head tucked beside the girl's neck.

Reaching deep inside of her heart Orihime submitted. Even if her mind cautioned her to distance her heart, her very soul stubbornly reached out to tether around Tatsuki.

"This isn't like you. We use to tell each other everything."

"That's the problem!" Pulling her shoulders back the short frumpy athlete stalked towards the kitchen sinking into the only available chair in the room. "We use to tell each other everything!" Kicking her feet onto the table she growled. The clinging of the poor cringing table legs trying to hold the weight of one overly strong frustrated girl.

Oproaching her dearest of companions Orihime's heart felt oddly vulnerable. She thought with such distance and time between them the pain of watching one of her friends would be lifted- gone, vanquished. No longer a substance of connection between their hearts to make them vulnerable but how laughably wrong she was. It burned. Their kinship, Tatsuki's pain, the walls that sat between them all twisted and prodded upon one poor grey eyed soul.

Fresh burning empathy spread from the chasm of the younger teen's chest. How much it hurt to see such a beloved friend in so much pain. "Tatsuki... I'm here." Whispering like a mother to its babe, "You **can **tell me everything." Peach fingers danced onto to sultry, shaking, blotchy skin coaxing her companion to words.

Shuffling to the other side of the table Orihime sat resolutely and yet consoling ready to bare the weight of the athlete's admission.

The long black sleeves of her jacket framed trembling brown eyes riddled with heaviness.

Vindictive brown battled with sympathetic grey, coaxing agitation out of the grumpy tomboy.

"He didn't tell me anything."

She wanted to speak acknowledge the depth of the words her best friend spoke, but felt it better to allow the woman to collect her thoughts out loud. "I'm so angry. How could he do that to me?" bracing her head against the table Tastuki sucked on her teeth. "How stupid could I have been? I thought- we... I thought- I don't know what I thought but it wasn't this!"

Fingers soft and dainty weaved into the judo fighter's calloused hands, "What did Ishida-kun do?" Breaking the disquiet Orihime gathered her resolve and approached the heavy burden of the storm. Stretching her fingers she hummed dumbly under her breath giving enough time for the older teen to rant her poison laced emotions.

Pathetic coffee eyes rolled towards her petulant under the safety of a taut powerful set of arms. "What makes you think it's Uryuu?" A silent pause passed between the two a spark of familiarity within the action. "It's that obvious, huh?" She lamented embarrassment settling bitter on her quirking when the more unique of the two friends gave a definite vocal in affirmative.

Daring something between a cry and laughter Tatsuki shook her head. Standing Orihime scooted her chair back visibly cringing as the chair scuttled loudly.

Strolling into the kitchen Orihime pushed through cupboards. Voice sing-songy as she dug through bundles of packaged tea leaves. "Is there something you want to drink?" Poking her head out of the darkness she questioned, "I don't have coffee, sorry!" Stated the teen after searching for the third time for her emergency coffee supply.

"Coffee? Orihime that's the devil's pot. That stuff will kill you!" Half-joked the still dejected girl thrumming her fingers on the old chipped dining table.

A velum of red peaked beyond the little wall of kitchen. Pointer finger pressed into her chin.

"I thought you drink coffee?" Tatsuki scoffed something between indifference and unbelievability.

"I gave that stuff up months ago, Hime. Shit had me off my rocker. I'm kind of glad- but I will take some green tea." Stepping down she pulled the tea leaves from the canister, warming the kettle upon the stove.

Little flits of giggles escaped Orihime. "Is my Tatsuki all cultured now? Ishida-kun must really be rubbing off of you." Teased the woman settling the tea to boil on the stove.

At times she had envied the capabilities of modern tea makers but now she found an enjoyment in the simplicity of boiling teabags under the steam of her old iron kettle. After all the inconvenience of allowing the pot to brew held nothing to the sensual scent that wafted from the boiling. "So what's the problem?"

The red head could hear the nibbling over take the finger drumming. Nail biting was trait Tastuki still hadn't left behind.

A quiet engulfed the tiny apartment. Orihime fearing the girl may never respond. A sudden shutter from the whistling tea kettle seemed to break Tatsuki trance.

"He... He's leaving for London." Bitterness sharp and engulfing fleshed from the girls tongue.

Stilled a chill blew over her, sweat forming onto her clamming fingers. Gulping down the fear…guilt? Burning against her like salt splashed into a wound. Orihime slumped hoping against all hopes for the inevitable.

"He's leaving in two months." Her fingers running blankly on the stack of manila files on the table, "He knew for two years now! An international scholarship program or some shit… I ca-"

Trepidation registered before pain. Unaware she had screamed out at all. A figure approached but ignorantly she didn't sense it lost in the boisterous heat overtaking her form.

White foaming steam seeped from her arm splintering red at the skin. Dragging the unbearable heat to her chest she cried. Tears mangled her vision the appendage was ripped from her carefully nestled between trembling hands.

"Orihime! Are you alright?" Tatsuki clamored to remove the steaming kettle from the floor. Trading between checking the blotchy red whelps slowly glistening against peach skin and getting the poor little lamb out of the puddle of boiling water.

Tears flooded her eyes. Pain tearing against her leg and arms as an unbearable heat surfaced. Like a curtain separating her from the world waves of red split her vision. Sucking in a breathe she collected herself. Embarrassed of her weakness.

"S'okay." Standing the girl tried rubbing the tears from her eyes the fanning of cool air feeling like such poison against the raw scalded skin. "You just surprised me."

"Are you sure?" Tastuski asked protectively.

Clinching her teeth as she ghosted the skin she let out a breath of confirmation, "I'll be fine. It'll heal."

"I think-" A dull trill escaped out of the front pocket of her jacket. Not hesitating she snatched the instrument from her jacket with a vengeance. Orihime shuttered debating whether to give the wounds air or move as little as possible.

"Hello? NO! I'm mad at you!" Screamed the irate teen. Pulling the phone from her ear she made petulant faces at the foamy noises coming from the device. A few more moments of bastardizing insults following collected silence sent the conversation- screaming match? Into its apex, "I don't care screw you jerk!" screeched the tiny brunette slamming the phone shut.

"Was that?"

"Yeah..." Grumbled the bitter girl, "He wants to apologize." Looking at her limping friend Tatsuki shifted towards her shamed at her debacle. Ushering the girl to a seat she studied the burns contemplating on administering her amateur first aid abilities.

After a few moment of digging through drawers upon drawers the fighter looked up to her rather quiet friend. "Where's your first aid kit?"

"Uhhh… I don't have one?" Responded the red-head careful upon her words.

Looking up she shuttered at the mama bear expression over taking Tatsuki's face, "And why not?"

"Well It's….it's cause…"

Standing the girl gave a weak glare approaching the freezer. "That's no excuse. You don't have those magical…super powers anymore Orihime." Leaning down she pressed a pack of frozen peas onto her legs. Softly dabbing the skin with the harsh coldness, "You have to take care of yourself."

_I know. _

Her lips pursed. If only her friend knew how much she was making an attempt to care for herself. Tatsuki's fears were understandable after all. The last few years Orihime's temperament though sweet and genial as well didn't match her sullen and often reckless attitude.

Frowning she even dare say she was weaker before. At least then she had her shun shun rika as a pillar of strength. A cloud loomed around her sudden and heavy. Palpable to the point it strained her heart.

Stroking the table her fingers glided onto the manila folder sliding against the rough material. A spark ignited. Determined she glanced forward causing the girl beside her brows to furrow. Taming her expression Orihime confronted Tatsuki's frustration.

Eyes wide imploring Orihime dared to pipe, "Are you still angry?"

"At you? Of course not!" Argued the teen.

"Ano… I mean Ishida-kun." She corrected gaze tangled between curious and belligerent.

A spark of defiance leaked from Tatsuki glaring not at her friend but at her audacity. Something in those liquid greys pried the fighter to answer.

"Like hell I am!" Pointed the enraged teen slamming her fingers against the table. "It's horrible thing for somebody to invest so much time into someone else only for them to stab you in the back." Grumbling Tatsuki snuffed her fingers in her jacket probably in the attempt to break the device pocketed there. "It makes our relationship feel so shallow."

Silent she watched the girl passive with her actions but active in her thoughts.

"Fuck him." She snuffed pride wounded, "He's dead to me. All I have is Orihime and jijutsu, that's all I need! I know neither one of you will betray me!" Berated the teen.

Entering into a long circumventing rant to release her anger Tatsuki raged on heart sitting upon her sleeves as she admitted all woes and insecurities. Orihime's head nodded and bobbed to pacify her friend though her head was miles away twisting at a solution for the inevitable wound she would cause.

!-!-!

After some minutes between screaming, huffing and the collection of Orihime type what if's the frumpy teenager departed heart still unresolved and stinging.

Looking back once more at the closing door Tatsuki couldn't decide which was stranger the pitiable hurt look in Orihime's eyes, the sensitive burn wounds or her crazy hair.

!-!-!

Dread seeped into the crowd. He was accustomed to it. An anomaly they cackled- an oddity with a dour deposition and soulless gaze- Aure Bonet the prodigy.

Walking in tied to his arm was what he sufficed to guest as a warming present from the university. She wasn't an ugly thing per say but between her sickled figure and overly large doe eyes the two complemented each other like walking corpses. She fluttered her eyebrows and whined a protest as they were seated in an upscale clad table inside the ballroom.

Sipping on the acidic drink framed between his fingers Aure frowned. He was much closer to the stage than he may have liked. He dare think should he reach out his hands he could pull the sparkling tassels right from their lining on the platform though such immature show from him would cause quite a spoiling on his host universities reputation.

Beside him the skeleton of woman giggled merrily dredging herself in the collection of fine alcohol Katakura University offered. Her eyelashes battered faster and fewer times in between the more she gulped, and while her frequent touches weren't bothersome in the least they lacked a pleasantness that he couldn't name.

Twirling her finger between long round black curls she guffawed at her partners blank expression. Swigging back another glass her face contorted into cheers to match the crowd as the first speaker walked the stage. Grinning like idiots the crowd jeered and cackled at the unsavory entertainment chosen for such an important night.

Every so often a rare eye would turn to his table awed at the quietly serene corpse seated there. However; his evening partner was doing her best to draw attention to who she deemed to be the man of the hour.

"A toast," She quipped adjusting her scant ball gown, "The smartest man on earth. And the sexiest if I may say so myself."

Signature green eyes rolled sipping at the foreign glass before him, " Your encounter with men of the world must be limited. I am by no means as intelligent as you believe." Sliding his fingers against the shiny rim of his glass in order to reign in his glare.

Laughing openly the woman countered self-assured, "So modest. It's a little unbecoming. Though only intelligent men like yourself can so brazenly humble themselves and yet still be all haughty. But I do digress your handsomeness does very much outlive your rudeness. Grinning so Cheshire-like gave his mind a drunken buzz. "Do you think me stupid still?"

Suckling his cup heavy eyebrows arched removing themselves just slightly from their perpetual seat against his eyes. "I would be lying if I said no." Humming the hint of annoyance barely sealed behind his cold exterior.

"Honest to a fault I see. I like that. I like you as well." Her eyes batted together crinkling her lashes together as the hammiest smile overtook her feature. "But no worries, we have time. For now… just have a bit of fun on my sake. It would be kind of a splendor to be the one named for making the infamous Aure bonet smile."

He'd admit she was the most insensitive of all his lady dates so far possibly the stupidest as well. And something of that crooked grin just set his nerves on high gear. Glancing towards the stage with a frown he fingered his glass.

She gave that feathery laughter morbid almost distressed in its sound, "Just enjoy yourself. I'm not asking you to smile but I'd prefer not to be drunk alone." The stupid girl was causing quite the commotion. Half way out of her chair she was showing quite a reputation for the alumni of Katakura University.

Posing away he signaled a waiter. Had he been a gentleman he may have asked the man to close her tab and feed the oblivion a placebo of sparkling water- In this state she wouldn't be able to tell the difference anyway. But he was nothing close to gentlemanly and had no intention of staving the sharp tongue woman. Nonchalantly he requested to keep the drinks coming and supply him with whatever she was having.

!-!-!

Popping from her seat she rubbed the sore spot on her head irritably. Pushing away the letters in front of her she griped at her newest situation. The bakery shop in which she would be working in was foreclosing. Frustration grappled her nerves for hours as she debated ways in which she could stretch her savings for the next two months. What were the chances anyone would hire a girl who could only work a few weeks at the most.

Standing she approached the kitchen hesitant to cook anything on the stove in fear of her wondering mind. She had enough burns from the day to last her lifetime. Sighing she dug the fridge settling on a bland meal of chocolate ice cream on top of cold left over fried noodles.

Not having the energy to return the table she spoon fed herself the frosty tasteless meal grumbling at her problems.

Freezing she turned to the thudding footsteps surprised to hear any noises so late in the night from her usually homebody neighbors. Giving her mind an acceptable answer she reasoned it to be alien robots coming to rescue their captured space kitten sister from the horrible octopus king next door, or possibly at less reasonable guess the troublesome neighbor girl sneaking out of the window again but, that was preposterous.

Giggling to herself she couldn't even imagine the overly crazy situation. Robots were more reasonable-

Fright entered her skin. She couldn't sense reitsu anymore though the quivering sensation that someone was at the other side of her door caused her skin to crawl. A series of knocks grappled her door. Years of living in the apartment gave her the insight of knowing no one approached her door in the middle of night.

"Crap, crap, crap! Ice cream and cupcakes, explicative, explicative!-" Cried out the girl grasping everything from her tea kettle to a rolled up newspaper. Settling on a steel pot she leveled it in her hand before approaching the door with soft steps.

"Wh-who is it?" Crying out she unlatched the door ready to put all three months of little league t-ball into her hit. Something heavy fumbled onto her knocking her from her feat. Thrashing about her mind instinctively brought her knee into a fleshy firm abdomen.

A gasp escaped the intruder. Fueled by fear Orhime shrieked kicked and scratched towards her opponent only to find herself gasping as a knee settled onto her solar-plexus knocking the air from her as ice cold fingers pressed her mouth shut.

Shooting her arms in a blind frenzy she was stopped by a terse voice, "Open your eyes woman." Eyes popped wide staring wordlessly at the somewhat irate man toppled on top of her.

"Ano- I didn't mean to…"

Picking himself up calmly He gripped the girl softly dragging her to her feet. He stared at her leaning onto the door frame. "It's the next day." He confirmed closing his eyes for a moment to bate away the lucidness.

She approached him. "Yes it is." Her fingers ghosting against his cheek as he stared far off past her. Something was different. His figure still tense seemed to have a languid hypnotizing quiet and the impenetrableness of his expression had intensified to a mild seeable annoyance. Pursing her lips her followed her example furrowing his eyebrows down at her.

Leaning down his pale fingers slid through her colorfully golden hair. Peering at her troubled expressions his cold jaded eyes quivered softly. "I don't like it when you look at me like that."

Her heart fluttered uncomfortably his head settling onto her crown nose cold like a wet puppy sent a tingling sensation through her forehead. Deftly her fingers splayed onto the brink of his jaw. "Ulquiorra?"

He hummed in response his hair tickling her face as he slid his gaze further down to meet her imploring grey eyes.

Frowning once again she pushed his face softly back to study him intently, "Are you drunk?"

**And there you have it. Sorry for the long wait on this chapter guys. No excuses. Answers on who exactly Aure is will be answered in the future. Please give me your criticism I really enjoy it and it inspires me to write. Also happy new years to all of you guys out there! **


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